2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gligor
A slavic surname derived from the Greek word "glyko" meaning sweet or pleasant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Gligor. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gligor 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Gligor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gligor, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gligor
The surname Gligor has its origins in the Balkan region, specifically in the Slavic countries of the former Yugoslavia. It is believed to have evolved from the Slavic given name Grigor or Grigory, which itself is derived from the Greek word "gregorios," meaning "watchful" or "vigilant."
The earliest known records of the Gligor surname can be traced back to the 15th century, when it appears in various medieval documents and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the mention of a certain Gligor Vukovic in a land registry from the Bosnian town of Visoko, dated 1472.
During the Ottoman era, the Gligor surname was most commonly found in areas that are now parts of Serbia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is believed that the name spread and gained popularity among the Orthodox Christian population of these regions, as the name Grigor or Grigory was associated with the patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, who played a pivotal role in the spread of Christianity in Armenia.
The earliest recorded instance of the Gligor surname in a place name can be found in the village of Gligorije, located in present-day Serbia. This village, which dates back to the 16th century, was likely named after one of its earliest settlers who bore the surname Gligor.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Gligor surname. One of the most famous was Gligor Miletic (1824-1896), a Serbian writer, poet, and political activist who played a significant role in the Serbian national revival movement of the 19th century.
Another prominent figure was Gligor Sokolovic (1820-1888), a Serb-Bosnian merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of education and cultural institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the 20th century, Gligor Popovski (1915-1992) was a celebrated Macedonian writer and poet, known for his works that explored the themes of national identity and the struggle for independence.
Gligor Samardžić (1935-2018) was a renowned Serbian actor and director, who appeared in numerous films and theatre productions throughout his long and illustrious career.
More recently, Gligor Tončev (1965-2022) was a prominent Macedonian politician and diplomat, who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia from 2006 to 2009.
While the Gligor surname is most prevalent in the Balkan region, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the Slavic lands of the former Yugoslavia, where it has a rich historical significance and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gligor
Among Census respondents with the surname Gligor, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gligor 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 Gligor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gligor
Gligor 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-16 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,190 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 15,190 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 Gligor 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 | #136,449 | #151,639 | -11.1% |
| Count | 123 | 107 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gligor bearers went from 123 to 107 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 15,190 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #151,639.
FAQ
Gligor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gligor?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Gligor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Gligor?
Gligor ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Gligor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Gligor.
Has Gligor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gligor went from 123 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Gligor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gligor, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Gligor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gligor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Gligor (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 Gligor mean?
A slavic surname derived from the Greek word "glyko" meaning sweet or pleasant. 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 Gligor (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 Americans have the surname Gligor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.