2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karlovic
Of Slavic origin, meaning "son of Karl" or "son of Charles".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Karlovic. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karlovic 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Karlovic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karlovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karlovic
The surname Karlovic originates from the Slavic regions, predominantly Croatia and Serbia, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Slavic root "Karl," which is a variation of the Germanic name "Karl," meaning "a free man" or "a peasant."
The name Karlovic first appeared in historical records in the 14th century, when the region was under the rule of the Kingdom of Croatia and the Serbian Empire. It was commonly found in areas around modern-day Zagreb, Rijeka, and Belgrade, where Slavic populations were concentrated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Karlovic surname can be found in the Glagolitic manuscripts from the island of Krk, dating back to the late 14th century. These manuscripts were written in the Glagolitic script, which was used by Slavic monks and scholars in the region.
In the 15th century, the Karlovic family gained prominence in the Venetian-controlled city of Zadar, where they held influential positions in the local government and merchant guilds. Ivan Karlovic (1420-1489), a prominent merchant and diplomat, was instrumental in negotiating trade agreements between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Karlovic surname spread across the Balkans and Central Europe as a result of migration and military campaigns. One notable figure was Marko Karlovic (1560-1628), a Croatian soldier who fought against the Ottoman forces and was awarded lands in present-day Hungary for his service.
In the 18th century, the Karlovic family gained recognition in the fields of education and philosophy. Đuro Karlovic (1720-1793) was a renowned Croatian philosopher and professor at the University of Zagreb, known for his contributions to the Enlightenment movement in the region.
Another prominent individual with the Karlovic surname was Petar Karlovic (1805-1876), a Croatian politician and writer who played a significant role in the Croatian National Revival movement. He advocated for the preservation of Croatian language and culture, and his works were instrumental in shaping the national identity of the Croatian people.
Throughout history, the Karlovic surname has been found in various spellings, such as Karlovič, Karlovics, and Karlovits, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where it was prevalent. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, a testament to the enduring legacy of the Slavic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karlovic
Among Census respondents with the surname Karlovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Karlovic 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 Karlovic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 97
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karlovic
Karlovic 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+18 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,459 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-17 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,890 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 8,459 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 15,890 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 Karlovic 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 | #136,449 | #152,339 | -11.6% |
| Count | 123 | 106 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karlovic bearers went from 123 to 106 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 15,890 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #152,339.
FAQ
Karlovic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karlovic?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Karlovic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Karlovic?
Karlovic ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Karlovic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Karlovic.
Has Karlovic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karlovic went from 123 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Karlovic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karlovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Karlovic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karlovic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Karlovic (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 Karlovic mean?
Of Slavic origin, meaning "son of Karl" or "son of Charles". 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 Karlovic (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 have the last name Karlovic?
Find out how many people have the last name Karlovic on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.