2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Draganov
A surname suggesting Bulgarian or Russian origin, possibly derived from the word "dragon".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Draganov. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Draganov 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Draganov in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Draganov, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Draganov
The surname Draganov originated in Bulgaria during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Slavic root "drag," meaning "dear" or "beloved," and the suffix "-ov," which denotes a patronymic form. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was highly regarded or esteemed within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Draganov can be found in a manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a nobleman named Draganov who served as a military commander under Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria. This document highlights the prevalence of the name among the Bulgarian aristocracy during that era.
In the 16th century, a renowned Bulgarian poet and scholar named Petar Draganov gained recognition for his contributions to the literary arts. Born in 1525 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo, he is celebrated for his intricate lyrical compositions and his efforts in preserving Bulgarian cultural heritage during the Ottoman occupation.
During the 19th century, the Draganov name became associated with the Bulgarian National Revival movement, which aimed to revive Bulgarian culture, language, and identity. One notable figure from this period was Georgi Draganov, born in 1845, who played a pivotal role in the establishment of modern Bulgarian literature and education.
Another prominent individual bearing the Draganov surname was Ivan Draganov, a Bulgarian military officer born in 1878. He fought valiantly in the Balkan Wars and the First World War, earning numerous accolades for his bravery and strategic leadership on the battlefield.
In the realm of academia, the name Draganov is associated with Professor Dimitar Draganov, a renowned linguist and philologist who lived from 1892 to 1972. His groundbreaking work on the Bulgarian language and its historical development earned him widespread recognition both domestically and internationally.
While the Draganov surname has its roots in Bulgaria, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of the Bulgarian people and their storied history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Draganov
Among Census respondents with the surname Draganov, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Draganov 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 Draganov surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Draganov
Draganov 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,787 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 Draganov 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 | #149,395 | #154,182 | -3.2% |
| Count | 110 | 103 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Draganov bearers went from 110 to 103 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,182.
FAQ
Draganov surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Draganov?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Draganov. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Draganov?
Draganov ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Draganov. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Draganov.
Has Draganov become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Draganov went from 110 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Draganov?
Among Census respondents with the surname Draganov, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Draganov in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Draganov appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Draganov (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 Draganov mean?
A surname suggesting Bulgarian or Russian origin, possibly derived from the word "dragon". 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 Draganov (0.03 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 surname Draganov?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.