2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jerkovic
A Serbian surname likely derived from the word "jerko" meaning "fierce" or "brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Jerkovic. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jerkovic 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Jerkovic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jerkovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jerkovic
The surname JERKOVIC is of Croatian origin, believed to have emerged in the 16th century in the region of Dalmatia, along the Adriatic coast. It is derived from the Slavic word "jerk," which means "a salty sea breeze." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely resided in coastal areas and may have been associated with maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the JERKOVIC surname can be found in the archives of the city of Split, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention a merchant named Ivan JERKOVIC who traded in salt and other goods along the Adriatic trade routes.
In the 17th century, the name JERKOVIC appears in church records from the island of Korčula, indicating that the family had spread to various parts of the Dalmatian archipelago. Interestingly, some of these records also mention variations in the spelling, such as "JERKOVIĆ" and "JERKOVIČ," reflecting the influence of local dialects.
During the 18th century, the JERKOVIC name gained prominence in the city of Dubrovnik, where several members of the family held positions in the local government and maritime administration. One notable figure was Marko JERKOVIC (1712-1778), a respected ship captain and navigator who authored several navigational charts and maps of the Adriatic Sea.
As the Austro-Hungarian Empire expanded its influence in the region during the 19th century, the JERKOVIC name can be found in various administrative records and documents from that period. For instance, Petar JERKOVIC (1823-1897) was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Zadar.
Another notable bearer of the JERKOVIC surname was Ante JERKOVIC (1868-1941), a renowned author and playwright from the Dalmatian hinterland. His works, which often explored themes of rural life and folklore, played a significant role in preserving the region's cultural heritage.
Throughout history, the JERKOVIC surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, sailors, scholars, and artists. While the name's origins can be traced back to the coastal regions of Croatia, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jerkovic
Among Census respondents with the surname Jerkovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jerkovic 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 Jerkovic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jerkovic
Jerkovic 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
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Jerkovic 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jerkovic bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Jerkovic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jerkovic?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Jerkovic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Jerkovic?
Jerkovic ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Jerkovic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Jerkovic.
Has Jerkovic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jerkovic went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Jerkovic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jerkovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Jerkovic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jerkovic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Jerkovic (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 Jerkovic mean?
A Serbian surname likely derived from the word "jerko" meaning "fierce" or "brave." 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 Jerkovic (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 common is the surname Jerkovic?
If you just want to know how common the surname Jerkovic is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.