2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kudic
A surname originating from Croatia, likely derived from a nickname referring to curly hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Kudic. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kudic 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Kudic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kudic, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kudic
The surname Kudic has its origins in the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, particularly in the areas that now form modern-day Croatia and Serbia. The name likely emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, during a time of significant cultural and linguistic intermixing between various Slavic groups.
One plausible theory suggests that the name Kudic derives from the Old Slavic word "kuda," meaning "lock of hair" or "curl." This could imply that the name was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone with curly or unruly hair. Alternatively, it may have originated from a placename or a variation of an occupational surname related to hairdressing or wig-making.
Early records of the Kudic surname are sparse, but it does appear in some historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. For instance, a Petar Kudic is mentioned in a land registry from the village of Dubravica, near the city of Požega, in what is now modern-day Croatia, dated 1673.
One notable bearer of the Kudic name was Ivan Kudic, a Croatian military officer who served in the Austrian Empire's army during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. He was born in 1782 in the town of Vukovar and played a significant role in several battles against the French forces, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership.
Another individual of historical significance was Marija Kudic, a Serbian writer and poet who lived in the late 19th century. Born in 1857 in the town of Sremski Karlovci, she was a pioneering voice in Serbian literature and contributed greatly to the country's cultural renaissance during that period.
In the 20th century, Miroslav Kudic, a Croatian artist and sculptor, gained renown for his unique style and works that captured the essence of traditional Slavic folk art. He was born in 1912 in the village of Stara Gradiška and his sculptures can be found in various museums and galleries across the region.
Lastly, Dusan Kudic, a Serbian-born American physicist and inventor, made significant contributions to the field of optics and lasers. Born in 1927 in Belgrade, he emigrated to the United States in the 1950s and worked for several prestigious research institutions, holding numerous patents for his innovative work.
While the Kudic surname may not be among the most common in the Slavic regions, its rich history and notable bearers have left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kudic
Among Census respondents with the surname Kudic, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kudic 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 Kudic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kudic
Kudic 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+11 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,403 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 8,403 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 Kudic 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 | #142,049 | 5.6% |
| Count | 109 | 120 | 10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kudic bearers went from 109 to 120 (+10.1% change). The surname moved up 8,403 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,049.
FAQ
Kudic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kudic?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Kudic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Kudic?
Kudic ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Kudic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Kudic.
Has Kudic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kudic went from 109 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 11 (+10.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Kudic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kudic, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Kudic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kudic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (0.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Kudic (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 Kudic mean?
A surname originating from Croatia, likely derived from a nickname referring to curly hair. 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 Kudic (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 Kudic?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.