2000
#71,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Milicevic
A Serbian surname derived from the Slavic personal name Milica.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 413 Americans carry the last name Milicevic. That puts it at #60,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 829,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Milicevic 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
413
1 in 829,914
Census rank
#60,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
360
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 360 bearers of the surname Milicevic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Milicevic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Milicevic
The surname MILICEVIC is of Serbian origin and can be traced back to the medieval period in the Balkans. It is derived from the Slavic personal name "Milic," which means "gracious" or "merciful." This name was popular among the Serbian nobility and landowners during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MILICEVIC can be found in a 14th-century document from the Serbian Despotate, a medieval state located in present-day Serbia and parts of neighboring countries. The document mentions a certain "Miloš Milićević," who was a local nobleman and landowner in the region.
The MILICEVIC surname is also linked to several place names in Serbia and the surrounding areas. For instance, there is a village called "Milićevci" in central Serbia, which likely took its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname MILICEVIC.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the MILICEVIC surname. One prominent figure was Vuk Milićević (1768-1846), a Serbian diplomat and writer who played a significant role in the Serbian national revival movement during the 19th century.
Another notable MILICEVIC was Mihailo Milićević (1842-1921), a Serbian historian and writer who authored several books on the history and culture of Serbia and the Balkans. His works are considered important sources for understanding the region's past.
In the field of science, Pavle Milićević (1886-1958) was a Serbian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of differential equations and mathematical analysis.
The MILICEVIC surname also has connections to the military. During the 20th century, Živorad Milićević (1901-1942) was a Serbian officer and resistance fighter who played a crucial role in the struggle against the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia during World War II.
Lastly, in the realm of sports, Radivoje Milićević (born 1964) is a former Serbian football player and manager who had a successful career playing for various clubs in Yugoslavia and Serbia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Milicevic
Among Census respondents with the surname Milicevic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Milicevic 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 Milicevic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 343
- Two or more races2.5% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Milicevic
Milicevic 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
#68,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 289
+36 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 3,686 places
2020
#60,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 360
+71 bearers (+24.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 7,689 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,808 | 253 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,122 | 289 | 0.10 | +36 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 3,686 places |
| 2020 | #60,433 | 360 | 0.12 | +71 bearers (+24.6%) | Up 7,689 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 Milicevic 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 | #68,122 | #60,433 | 11.3% |
| Count | 289 | 360 | 24.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.12 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Milicevic bearers went from 289 to 360 (+24.6% change). The surname moved up 7,689 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,122 to #60,433.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Milicevic
FAQ
Milicevic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Milicevic?
Name Census estimates that about 413 living Americans carry the surname Milicevic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 829,914 residents.
How common is Milicevic?
Milicevic ranks #60,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 360 people with the surname Milicevic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Milicevic.
Has Milicevic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Milicevic went from 289 recorded bearers to 360. That is an increase of 71 (+24.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #68,122 to #60,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Milicevic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Milicevic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Milicevic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (343 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Milicevic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Milicevic (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 Milicevic mean?
A Serbian surname derived from the Slavic personal name Milica. 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 Milicevic (0.12 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 Milicevic?
Want to know how common the surname Milicevic is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.