2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Baltich
Possibly originating from the Baltic region or its proximity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Baltich. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baltich 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Baltich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baltich
The surname Baltich is of Croatian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Balkans. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "balt," which means "white" or "pale." This could suggest that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone with fair complexion or blonde hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baltich name can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Dubrovnik, which was then a thriving maritime republic. The document mentions a merchant named Petar Baltich, who likely hailed from the coastal regions of present-day Croatia or Montenegro.
In the 16th century, the Baltich family established itself in the town of Zadar, located on the Dalmatian coast. Historical records from this period mention several prominent members of the Baltich clan, including Ivan Baltich (1525-1598), a respected lawyer and judge, and Marko Baltich (1560-1632), a renowned seafarer and navigator.
During the 17th century, the Baltich name spread across the Adriatic Sea to the Italian city of Venice, where a branch of the family settled. One notable member of this branch was Giovanni Baltich (1628-1701), a successful merchant and trader who established a thriving business exporting Croatian wine and olive oil to other parts of Europe.
In the 18th century, the Baltich name gained prominence in the city of Split, Croatia. One of the most famous individuals bearing this surname was Juraj Baltich (1740-1817), a celebrated poet and playwright who played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of the region.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, several members of the Baltich family made their mark in various fields. Luka Baltich (1820-1897) was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Dubrovnik, while Tomislav Baltich (1875-1942) was a respected linguist and scholar of Slavic languages.
It is worth noting that the Baltich name has also been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Baltić, Baltichi, and Baltich-Oghiuz, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the regions where it was found.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baltich
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Baltich 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 Baltich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baltich
Baltich 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+17 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,788 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-20 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 5,788 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 18,972 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 Baltich 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 | #128,249 | #147,221 | -14.8% |
| Count | 133 | 113 | -15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baltich bearers went from 133 to 113 (-15.0% change). The surname moved down 18,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #147,221.
FAQ
Baltich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baltich?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Baltich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Baltich?
Baltich ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Baltich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Baltich.
Has Baltich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baltich went from 133 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Baltich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Baltich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baltich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (6.2%), Black (0.9%). 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 Baltich (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 Baltich mean?
Possibly originating from the Baltic region or its proximity. 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 Baltich (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 Baltich?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Baltich at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.