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

Kljajić, 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 Kljajić surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kljajić in America

Kljajić is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kljajić surname appeared 147 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kljajić.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kljajić 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 Kljajić

The surname Kljajic is of Croatian origin, originating from the region of Dalmatia in what is now modern-day Croatia. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, during the period when Croatian surnames were first becoming standardized.

Kljajic is derived from the Croatian word "kljaja," which means "crutch" or "walking stick." It is likely that the name was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone who used a crutch or walking stick, perhaps due to an injury or disability. Over time, this nickname evolved into a hereditary surname.

The earliest known record of the Kljajic surname is found in a census record from the town of Makarska, located along the Dalmatian coast, dating back to the year 1534. In this record, a man named Mihovil Kljajic is listed as a resident of the town.

Throughout the centuries, various spellings and variations of the name have been documented, including Kljajić, Kljaić, and Kljaich. These variations were likely due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or attempts to adapt the name to different linguistic contexts.

One notable figure bearing the Kljajic surname was Ivan Kljajić (1765-1834), a Croatian Catholic priest and writer who was born in the village of Zaostrog, near Makarska. He authored several religious texts and served as a parish priest in various villages throughout Dalmatia.

Another individual of historical significance was Ante Kljajić (1828-1891), a Croatian politician and lawyer from the town of Sinj. He played a prominent role in the Croatian National Revival movement of the 19th century, advocating for greater autonomy and recognition of Croatian language and culture within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In the 20th century, Marija Kljajić (1892-1976) was a notable Croatian educator and women's rights activist from the city of Split. She founded several schools for girls in the region and worked tirelessly to promote access to education for women.

The Kljajic surname can also be found in historical records from neighboring regions, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, suggesting that individuals bearing this name may have migrated or settled in these areas over time.

It is worth noting that the Kljajic surname remains relatively uncommon, even within Croatia, and is most prevalent in the coastal regions of Dalmatia, where it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kljajić

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

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

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

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