2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Meznarich
A surname of Eastern European origin denoting someone from a place called Mezna.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Meznarich. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meznarich 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Meznarich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meznarich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meznarich
The surname "MEZNARICH" is of Croatian origin, originating from the region of Dalmatia along the Adriatic coast in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Croatian word "meznar," which means "sexton" or "bell-ringer," a person responsible for ringing church bells and maintaining the church grounds. The suffix "-ich" is a common Slavic patronymic, indicating a familial or ancestral connection.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "MEZNARICH" appears in the Venetian archives of the 15th century, where it is mentioned in connection with a family of bell-ringers from the town of Zadar. This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname for those who held this position within the local churches.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various church records and land registries throughout the Dalmatian region, indicating its spread among the local population. Notably, a certain Ivan Meznarich is recorded as a church bell-ringer in the town of Sibenik in the year 1532.
The 17th century saw the prominence of the Meznarich family in the town of Split, where a branch of the family became influential merchants and landowners. Petar Meznarich (1621-1698) was a respected figure in the local community, serving as a magistrate and contributing to the construction of several churches and public buildings.
By the 18th century, the name had spread beyond the Dalmatian region, with records showing Meznarich families settling in other parts of Croatia and neighboring countries. One notable figure from this period was Marko Meznarich (1745-1820), a scholar and linguist who studied the Slavic languages and published several influential works on Croatian grammar and etymology.
As the centuries progressed, members of the Meznarich family continued to make significant contributions in various fields. Josip Meznarich (1834-1901) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Zagreb, while Ante Meznarich (1879-1958) was a celebrated painter and member of the Croatian Moderna art movement.
Throughout its long history, the surname "MEZNARICH" has maintained its connection to its Croatian roots, carrying with it the legacy of a once-prominent family of bell-ringers and their descendants who have left their mark on the cultural and intellectual life of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meznarich
Among Census respondents with the surname Meznarich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Meznarich 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 Meznarich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meznarich
Meznarich 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,986 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 Meznarich 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 | #158,432 | #149,446 | 5.7% |
| Count | 102 | 110 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meznarich bearers went from 102 to 110 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #149,446.
FAQ
Meznarich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meznarich?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Meznarich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Meznarich?
Meznarich ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Meznarich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Meznarich.
Has Meznarich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meznarich went from 102 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Meznarich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meznarich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Meznarich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meznarich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Meznarich (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 Meznarich mean?
A surname of Eastern European origin denoting someone from a place called Mezna. 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 Meznarich (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 common is the surname Meznarich?
You can see how common the surname Meznarich is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.