2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kiselica
A surname originating from the Slavic words for "sour" or "acidic", likely referring to an occupation or characteristic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Kiselica. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kiselica 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Kiselica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiselica, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kiselica
The surname Kiselica has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, likely arising during the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Slavic word "kisel," which refers to a type of fermented beverage made from berries or grains. The suffix "-ica" is a common diminutive form in many Slavic languages, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who produced or sold this type of beverage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kiselica surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae, a collection of medieval Croatian documents from the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use in the region during that time period. Additionally, variations of the name, such as Kiselicza and Kiselitsa, appear in various historical records from neighboring regions like Serbia and Bulgaria.
In the 15th century, a nobleman named Petar Kiselica was mentioned in the chronicles of the Serbian Despotate, a medieval Serbian state. He is believed to have been a prominent figure in the court of Despot Stefan Lazarević, who ruled from 1389 to 1427. Another notable individual with this surname was Ivan Kiselica, a Croatian military commander who served under the Venetian Republic in the 16th century.
During the 17th century, a village named Kiselica existed in the present-day region of Vojvodina, Serbia. This village was likely named after an early settler or landowner with the Kiselica surname, further reinforcing the historical presence of this name in the area.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Mihail Kiselica, a Serbian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the Principality of Serbia from 1873 to 1875. He was born in 1830 and played a significant role in the legal reforms of the time.
Another individual of note was Dragutin Kiselica, a Serbian painter and art teacher who lived from 1860 to 1935. He is known for his contributions to the development of Serbian realist painting and his works can be found in various museums and galleries across the region.
While the Kiselica 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 references mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origins and early presence of this surname in the Slavic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kiselica
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiselica, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kiselica 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 Kiselica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 96
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kiselica
Kiselica 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-23 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,394 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-12 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,997 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 29,394 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 5,997 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 Kiselica 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 | #150,452 | #156,449 | -4.0% |
| Count | 109 | 97 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kiselica bearers went from 109 to 97 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 5,997 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #156,449.
FAQ
Kiselica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kiselica?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Kiselica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Kiselica?
Kiselica ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Kiselica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kiselica.
Has Kiselica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kiselica went from 109 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 12 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Kiselica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiselica, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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 Kiselica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kiselica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (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 Kiselica (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 Kiselica mean?
A surname originating from the Slavic words for "sour" or "acidic", likely referring to an occupation or characteristic. 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 Kiselica (0.03 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 are called Kiselica?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Kiselica on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.