Begic last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Begic is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Begic.

Meaning of Begic

A surname of Bosnian origin derived from the Turkish word "bey," meaning "sir" or "master."

Begic, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Begic surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Begic in America

Begic is the 39004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Begic surname appeared 565 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Begic.

We can also compare 2010 data for Begic to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 39004 52077 -28.71%
Count 565 375 40.43%
Proportion per 100k 0.19 0.14 30.30%

The history of the last name Begic

The surname BEGIC is believed to have originated in the Balkan region, specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Slavic word "beg," which was a title used for nobility or chieftains in the Ottoman Empire.

The earliest known references to the BEGIC surname can be traced back to the 15th century, when the region was under Ottoman rule. During this time, many Bosnian families adopted surnames based on their professions, titles, or geographic locations. The name BEGIC likely emerged as a way to distinguish individuals who held the title of "beg" or were associated with a person of that rank.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the BEGIC surname was Husrev-beg BEGIC, a prominent military commander and statesman who lived in the late 15th century. He played a significant role in defending Bosnia against the advancing forces of the Kingdom of Hungary.

In the 17th century, the BEGIC surname appeared in various Ottoman records and manuscripts, including tax registers and land ownership documents. This suggests that the family had established a notable presence in the region during that time.

Another notable figure bearing the BEGIC surname was Mehmed-beg BEGIC, who lived in the 18th century and served as the governor of the Bosnian province of Travnik. He was known for his efforts in promoting cultural and educational initiatives within his jurisdiction.

During the 19th century, as the Ottoman Empire's influence waned in the Balkans, the BEGIC surname began to spread beyond Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some members of the family migrated to other parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as to neighboring regions.

One individual of particular significance was Osman BEGIC (1834-1912), a prominent writer and intellectual who played a crucial role in the cultural renaissance of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the late 19th century. His literary works and advocacy for education and cultural preservation left a lasting impact on the region.

Another notable figure was Mustafa BEGIC (1870-1936), a politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Austro-Hungarian period. He was instrumental in negotiating the region's transition to a more autonomous status within the empire.

While the BEGIC surname has its roots in the Balkans, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it was closely associated with nobility and the Ottoman ruling class.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Begic

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Begic.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Begic was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.05% 554
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Begic has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.05% 86.13% 12.94%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 12.80% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Begic was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Begic, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Begic last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 3, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/begic-surname-popularity/.

"Begic last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/begic-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 December, 2024

Begic last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/begic-surname-popularity/.

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