2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Matesich
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "gift of Mother Mary".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Matesich. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matesich 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Matesich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matesich, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matesich
The surname Matesich is believed to have originated in Croatia. It is likely derived from the Croatian word "mat," meaning "checkmate" in chess, and the suffix "-esich," which is a common patronymic ending indicating lineage or family membership. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly skilled at chess or had some connection to the game.
Matesich is most commonly found in the regions of Dalmatia and Istria in modern-day Croatia, as well as in parts of neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 15th century, when it appeared in various official documents and records from these areas.
One notable early bearer of the name was Ivan Matesich, a Croatian nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. He was mentioned in several historical records related to property disputes and legal matters during that time period.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of Matesich was recorded as residing in the town of Dubrovnik, which was then a prominent maritime republic and center of trade in the Adriatic region. It is possible that some members of this family were involved in maritime activities or commerce.
Another interesting historical reference is the inclusion of the name Matesich in a Croatian-language dictionary published in the early 19th century, which suggests that the name was well-established and recognized within the Croatian linguistic and cultural context by that time.
Two notable individuals with the surname Matesich from more recent history include Josip Matesich (1892-1962), a Croatian painter and sculptor known for his works depicting scenes from daily life in Dalmatia, and Marija Matesich (1925-2018), a prominent Croatian actor and theater director who was active throughout the second half of the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matesich
Among Census respondents with the surname Matesich, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Matesich 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 Matesich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matesich
Matesich 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-19 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,081 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 26,081 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 730 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 Matesich 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 | #149,395 | #148,665 | 0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 111 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matesich bearers went from 110 to 111 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #148,665.
FAQ
Matesich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matesich?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Matesich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Matesich?
Matesich ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Matesich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Matesich.
Has Matesich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matesich went from 110 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Matesich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matesich, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Matesich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matesich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Matesich (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 Matesich mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "gift of Mother Mary". 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 Matesich (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 Americans have the surname Matesich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.