Olu
Olú is a popular name amongst people of the Yoruba ethnic group. It is usually the first three letters of the full name. Olú is a diminutive of Olúwa in the Yoruba language and it can mean God, deity or lord, so the name 'Olúwale' could mean My God / Lord has come home.
Meaning & Origin of Olu
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Olú is a popular name amongst people of the Yoruba ethnic group. It is usually the first three letters of the full name. Olú is a diminutive of Olúwa in the Yoruba language and it can mean God, deity or lord, so the name 'Olúwale' could mean My God / Lord has come home.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Olu
Olu first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1970, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 7 Olus were born — ranking #3,836 that year. As of 2026, Olu ranks #3,836 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 7 Olus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Olu
Phonetically similar names — useful when Olu is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Olu
What does the name Olu mean?
How popular is Olu in 2026?
When was Olu most popular?
Is Olu a unisex name?
What names go well with Olu?
About the name Olu
Olu is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 7 births in the dataset. Olu's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #3,836. Use the chart and map above to compare Olu's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.