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

Jovanović, 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 Jovanović surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jovanović in America

Jovanović is the 18262nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jovanović surname appeared 1,521 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jovanović.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jovanović 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.

The history of the last name Jovanović

The surname Jovanovic has its origins in Serbia and other parts of the Balkans, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Slavic given name "Jovan," which is the Serbian form of John. The suffix "-ic" (or "-ović") is a common Slavic patronymic, indicating that the name refers to the son or descendant of someone named Jovan.

The earliest recorded instances of the Jovanovic surname can be found in Serbian historical records and documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. During this period, Serbia was ruled by various dynasties, including the Nemanjić and Lazarević families, and the name Jovanovic likely originated among the nobility or landed gentry.

One notable early bearer of the Jovanovic surname was Jovan Jovanović Zmaj (1833-1904), a prominent Serbian poet, writer, and physician. He was renowned for his contributions to Serbian literature and his advocacy for the Serbian language and culture.

Another historical figure with the Jovanovic surname was Slobodan Jovanović (1869-1958), a Serbian legal scholar, philosopher, and political theorist. He served as the rector of the University of Belgrade and played a significant role in shaping the intellectual and political landscape of Serbia in the early 20th century.

In the realm of science, Milutin Milanković (1879-1958), a Serbian geophysicist and civil engineer, made important contributions to the study of climate change and the Earth's long-term climate patterns. His work on the Milanković cycles, which describe the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements upon its climate, earned him widespread recognition.

The Jovanovic surname also has a presence in the world of sports. Novak Djokovic (born 1987), the famous Serbian professional tennis player, is one of the most recognizable figures with this surname. He has won numerous Grand Slam titles and has been ranked as the world's number one player multiple times.

Another notable bearer of the Jovanovic name is Jasmina Jovanović (born 1986), a Serbian professional basketball player who has competed at the highest levels of the sport, including the WNBA and the EuroLeague Women.

While the Jovanovic surname is most prevalent in Serbia and the surrounding regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval Balkans, where it emerged as a patronymic surname derived from the given name Jovan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jovanović

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

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 Jovanović was:

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 Jovanović has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Jovanović was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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