2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karac
A Slavic occupational surname referring to an innkeeper or tavern owner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Karac. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karac 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Karac in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karac, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karac
The surname KARAC has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, primarily in present-day Croatia and Serbia. It emerged during the Middle Ages, likely derived from the Old Slavic word "kara," which meant "punishment" or "retribution." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or position of authority related to law enforcement or the administration of justice.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KARAC surname can be found in a 14th-century chronicle from the city of Dubrovnik, which mentions a nobleman named Petar KARAC. This document suggests that the name had already gained prominence in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the KARAC surname was Nikola KARAC, a Croatian military commander who played a significant role in the defense of the city of Klis against Ottoman forces. He was born in 1520 and died in 1587.
Another historical figure of note was Marko KARAC, a Serbian scholar and writer who lived in the 17th century. He authored several works on theology and philosophy, contributing to the intellectual landscape of the region during that period.
Shifting focus to the 18th century, a prominent KARAC was Jovan KARAC, a Serbian merchant and philanthropist. He was born in 1745 and died in 1812. Jovan KARAC is remembered for his generous contributions to various educational and cultural institutions in his homeland.
In the 19th century, the KARAC surname gained further recognition with the achievements of Mihailo KARAC, a Serbian painter and art educator. Born in 1824 and died in 1898, he is celebrated for his contributions to the development of Serbian art and his influence on subsequent generations of artists.
While the KARAC surname has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and significance of this surname in its region of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karac
Among Census respondents with the surname Karac, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Karac 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 Karac surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karac
Karac 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-19 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 17,396 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 Karac 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 | #135,593 | #152,989 | -12.8% |
| Count | 124 | 105 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karac bearers went from 124 to 105 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 17,396 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #152,989.
FAQ
Karac surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karac?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Karac. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Karac?
Karac ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Karac. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Karac.
Has Karac become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karac went from 124 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Karac?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karac, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Karac in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karac appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Karac (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 Karac mean?
A Slavic occupational surname referring to an innkeeper or tavern owner. 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 Karac (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 Karac?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.