2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kalac
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "monk" or "clergyman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kalac. 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 Kalac 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 Kalac 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 Kalac, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kalac
The surname Kalac is believed to have originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in modern-day Croatia and Slovenia. Its roots can be traced back to the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. The name is thought to be derived from the Slavic word "kal," which means "mud" or "slime," suggesting a possible occupational or geographical connection.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kalac can be found in a 14th-century Croatian manuscript documenting land ownership in the region of Dalmatia. This document mentions a certain Ivan Kalac, who was a landowner in the village of Polača. The name appears to have been relatively widespread in the Dalmatian hinterland during this time period.
In the 16th century, there are records of a prominent Kalac family residing in the city of Dubrovnik, which was then an independent republic. The Kalac family was involved in maritime trade and held influential positions within the city's administration. One notable member of this family was Marko Kalac (1520-1587), a successful merchant and diplomat who represented Dubrovnik in negotiations with the Ottoman Empire.
As the Kalac surname spread throughout the Balkan region, various spelling variations emerged, such as Kalach, Kalacz, and Kalacki. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the language of the region where the name was adopted.
In the late 17th century, a branch of the Kalac family settled in the Austrian Empire, particularly in the region of Vojvodina (modern-day Serbia). One notable figure from this period was Petar Kalac (1637-1715), a military officer who served in the imperial army during the Great Turkish War.
Another prominent bearer of the Kalac surname was Ivan Kalac (1802-1873), a Croatian writer, journalist, and political activist who played a significant role in the Illyrian movement, which sought to promote Croatian cultural identity and language.
While the name Kalac has roots in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. Notable individuals with this surname include Stjepan Kalac (1923-2009), a Croatian Catholic priest and theologian, and Željko Kalac (born 1964), a former Australian soccer player of Croatian descent who represented the Australian national team.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalac
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalac, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kalac 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 Kalac surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kalac
Kalac 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
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,405 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 Kalac 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 | #156,044 | #151,639 | 2.8% |
| Count | 104 | 107 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kalac bearers went from 104 to 107 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kalac surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kalac?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kalac. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kalac?
Kalac 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 Kalac. 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 Kalac.
Has Kalac become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kalac went from 104 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kalac?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalac, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Kalac in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kalac appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Kalac (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 Kalac mean?
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "monk" or "clergyman". 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 Kalac (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 people share the surname Kalac?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.