2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bacic
A Croatian surname derived from the Slavic root meaning "brother" or "relative".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 183 Americans carry the last name Bacic. That puts it at #115,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,872,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bacic 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
183
1 in 1,872,975
Census rank
#115,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
160
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 160 bearers of the surname Bacic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bacic
The surname Bacic originates from Croatia and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "baca," which means "shepherd" or "herder." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely engaged in pastoral activities or lived in areas known for sheep farming.
Bacic is a relatively common surname in the Dalmatian region of Croatia, particularly in the cities of Split and Sibenik. Historical records show that the name was well-established in these areas by the 15th century. In some old manuscripts, variations of the spelling include Bachich, Bacich, and Bačić.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bacic name can be found in the Zadar Cadastre, a comprehensive land survey conducted in the 16th century by the Venetian Republic in the Dalmatian region. This document lists several individuals with the surname Bacic, indicating their landholdings and occupations.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing this surname was Juraj Bacic (1548-1610), a Croatian poet and playwright from the city of Sibenik. His works, written in the Croatian vernacular, were influential in the development of Croatian literature and theater.
In the 18th century, Matija Bacic (1722-1786) was a prominent Croatian lawyer and politician who served as the mayor of Split and played a significant role in the city's administration during the Venetian rule.
Another distinguished individual with the Bacic surname was Ivan Bacic (1856-1939), a Croatian architect and urban planner. He designed several notable buildings in Split, including the Croatian National Theater and the Palace of Justice.
Frane Bacic (1918-2004) was a Croatian writer and literary critic who made significant contributions to the study of Croatian literature and culture. His works include numerous essays, literary critiques, and translations.
The Bacic surname has also been found in other parts of the Balkan region, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it may have originated from Croatian settlers or share a similar linguistic root.
Overall, the surname Bacic has a rich history rooted in the Croatian cultural and linguistic heritage, with notable bearers contributing to various fields, including literature, architecture, law, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bacic
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bacic 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 Bacic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 151
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bacic
Bacic appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+6 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,333 places
2020
#115,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+13 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +6 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 3,333 places |
| 2020 | #115,686 | 160 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 2,499 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 Bacic 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 | #118,185 | #115,686 | 2.1% |
| Count | 147 | 160 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bacic bearers went from 147 to 160 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 2,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #115,686.
FAQ
Bacic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bacic?
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the surname Bacic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,872,975 residents.
How common is Bacic?
Bacic ranks #115,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 160 people with the surname Bacic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (183), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Bacic.
Has Bacic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bacic went from 147 recorded bearers to 160. That is an increase of 13 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #118,185 to #115,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Bacic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Bacic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (151 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bacic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (4.4%), Black (0.6%). 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 Bacic (2000, 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 Bacic mean?
A Croatian surname derived from the Slavic root meaning "brother" or "relative". 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 Bacic (0.05 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 share the surname Bacic?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.