2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ajanovic
Derived from a patronymic meaning "son of Ajan," a Turkish personal name of uncertain etymology, possibly meaning "stranger."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Ajanovic. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ajanovic surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Ajanovic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajanovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ajanovic
The surname Ajanovic originates from the Balkan region, specifically the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. It likely emerged during the Ottoman Empire's rule over the region in the 15th to 19th centuries. The name is believed to be derived from the Turkish word "ajan," meaning "agent" or "messenger," combined with the Slavic suffix "-ovic," denoting belonging or descent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ajanovic can be found in the Ottoman tax records from the 16th century, where it was often spelled as "Ajanović" or "Ajanović." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who served as agents, couriers, or messengers for the Ottoman authorities in the region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ajanovic surname began to appear in various historical documents across the Balkans. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, records from the city of Sarajevo mention several Ajanovic families, indicating their presence in the urban centers of the region.
One notable figure from history bearing the Ajanovic surname was Mustafa Ajanović (1630-1708), a prominent Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703. He played a crucial role in negotiating the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, which marked the end of the Ottoman-Habsburg war.
Another historical figure was Hasan Ajanović (1776-1835), a Bosnian writer and scholar who contributed significantly to the development of Bosnian literature during the Ottoman period. His works, written in the Ottoman Turkish language, explored various subjects, including history, philosophy, and religion.
In the 19th century, the Ajanovic surname continued to be found across the Balkans, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. One notable individual from this period was Mehmed Ajanović (1811-1878), a Bosnian military officer who fought against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the Herzegovinian uprising of 1875-1878.
As the 20th century approached, the Ajanovic surname spread further across the region, with individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including politics, arts, and academia. For instance, Milorad Ajanović (1892-1978) was a Serbian painter and art professor who played a significant role in the development of modern art in Serbia.
Throughout its history, the Ajanovic surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Ajanović, Ajanović, Ajanovič, and Ajanovitch, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Balkan region. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its association with agents, messengers, or intermediaries during the Ottoman Empire's rule.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ajanovic
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajanovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ajanovic bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ajanovic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ajanovic
Ajanovic appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,319 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ajanovic surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #145,028 | 2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 116 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ajanovic bearers went from 111 to 116 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,319 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,028.
FAQ
Ajanovic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ajanovic?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Ajanovic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Ajanovic?
Ajanovic ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Ajanovic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ajanovic.
Has Ajanovic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ajanovic went from 111 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Ajanovic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajanovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ajanovic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ajanovic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ajanovic (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ajanovic mean?
Derived from a patronymic meaning "son of Ajan," a Turkish personal name of uncertain etymology, possibly meaning "stranger." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ajanovic (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Ajanovic?
You can see how many people are called Ajanovic on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.