2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mateljan
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "little Matthew" or "son of Matthew".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Mateljan. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mateljan 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Mateljan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateljan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mateljan
The surname Mateljan is of Croatian origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Croatian region of Dalmatia, specifically in the towns of Split and Solin. The name is likely derived from the Latin word "matellus," meaning "small vessel" or "bowl," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been involved in pottery or ceramic-making trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mateljan can be found in the archives of the city of Split, where a certain Mihovil Mateljan is mentioned as a landowner in the year 1487. This record provides valuable insight into the early presence of the Mateljan family in the region.
During the 16th century, the Mateljan surname began to spread across other parts of Croatia, particularly in the regions of Istria and Slavonia. In the town of Pazin, a notable figure named Petar Mateljan (1532-1598) is recorded as having been a respected merchant and landowner.
The Mateljan surname also found its way into historical records in neighboring countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the late 17th century, a certain Jure Mateljan (1662-1732) is documented as having been a prominent military officer in the service of the Ottoman Empire, stationed in the city of Sarajevo.
As the centuries progressed, the Mateljan surname continued to be represented in various fields and professions. In the 19th century, a renowned Croatian artist named Ljubo Mateljan (1826-1901) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and is considered one of the pioneers of Croatian Romantic painting.
Another notable figure bearing the Mateljan surname was Matej Mateljan (1875-1945), a Croatian writer and journalist who was actively involved in the Croatian national revival movement in the early 20th century. His literary works and essays contributed significantly to the promotion of Croatian cultural identity and language preservation.
While the Mateljan surname has its roots in Croatia, it has also found its way into other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and examples provided in this report primarily focus on the surname's origins and its presence within the Croatian cultural and geographical context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mateljan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateljan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mateljan 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 Mateljan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 8
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mateljan
Mateljan 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-9 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 3,641 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 Mateljan 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 | #152,628 | #156,269 | -2.4% |
| Count | 107 | 98 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mateljan bearers went from 107 to 98 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 3,641 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #156,269.
FAQ
Mateljan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mateljan?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Mateljan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Mateljan?
Mateljan ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Mateljan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Mateljan.
Has Mateljan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mateljan went from 107 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Mateljan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateljan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Mateljan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mateljan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (8.2%), Black (2.0%). 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 Mateljan (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 Mateljan mean?
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "little Matthew" or "son of Matthew". 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 Mateljan (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 Americans have the surname Mateljan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.