2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gliha
A surname from the Croatian word "glina" meaning clay or mud, potentially referring to someone who worked with clay or lived near clay soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 183 Americans carry the last name Gliha. 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 Gliha 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 Gliha 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 Gliha, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gliha
The surname Gliha is believed to have originated in the Balkan region, particularly in modern-day Croatia and Slovenia. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century, derived from the Slavic word "glina," which means "clay" or "soil." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with clay or were involved in pottery-making.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 17th-century parish register from the village of Brezovica, located near the city of Zagreb, Croatia. The entry mentions a certain Ivan Gliha, born in 1642, indicating the surname's presence in the area at that time.
During the 18th century, the name appeared in various historical documents from the region, including land records and census data. For instance, a record from 1756 mentions a Matija Gliha, a landowner in the village of Vinica, near the city of Varaždin, Croatia.
In the 19th century, the surname Gliha gained prominence with the birth of Vinko Gliha (1831-1911), a Croatian painter and illustrator. He is renowned for his realistic portrayals of rural life and landscapes in Croatia.
Another notable figure with this surname is Mirko Gliha (1892-1964), a Croatian architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings in Zagreb, including the Croatian National Theatre and the Palace of Justice.
In Slovenia, the name Gliha can be traced back to the 16th century as well. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Jurij Gliha, a farmer from the village of Hoče, near Maribor, mentioned in a land registry from 1587.
During the 19th century, the surname gained prominence in Slovenia with the birth of Franc Gliha (1855-1924), a Slovenian writer and journalist. He was a prominent figure in the Slovenian literary scene and is known for his contributions to the development of Slovenian journalism.
Another notable Slovenian with the surname Gliha is Alojz Gliha (1908-1986), a painter and printmaker. He was known for his vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes, and his works are part of several prestigious art collections in Slovenia.
While the surname Gliha is not among the most common in Croatia or Slovenia today, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts, architecture, and literature in these countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gliha
Among Census respondents with the surname Gliha, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gliha 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 Gliha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 8
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gliha
Gliha 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
#112,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
+23 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,762 places
2020
#115,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+4 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,118 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #112,568 | 156 | 0.05 | +23 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 7,762 places |
| 2020 | #115,686 | 160 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 3,118 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 Gliha 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 | #112,568 | #115,686 | -2.8% |
| Count | 156 | 160 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gliha bearers went from 156 to 160 (+2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,118 positions in the national ranking, going from #112,568 to #115,686.
FAQ
Gliha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gliha?
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the surname Gliha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,872,975 residents.
How common is Gliha?
Gliha 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 Gliha. 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 Gliha.
Has Gliha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gliha went from 156 recorded bearers to 160. That is an increase of 4 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #112,568 to #115,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Gliha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gliha, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) 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 Gliha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gliha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (5.0%), 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 Gliha (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 Gliha mean?
A surname from the Croatian word "glina" meaning clay or mud, potentially referring to someone who worked with clay or lived near clay soil. 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 Gliha (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 have the last name Gliha?
See how common the surname Gliha is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.