2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mistovich
A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the village of Mistovice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Mistovich. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mistovich 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Mistovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mistovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mistovich
The surname MISTOVICH has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, specifically in what is now Croatia and neighboring countries. The name likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from a combination of the Slavic root words "misto" or "mesto," meaning a place or town, and the suffix "-vich," which indicates belonging or lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MISTOVICH can be found in a monastery record from the town of Dubrovnik, located on the Adriatic coast of modern-day Croatia. This record, dated 1437, mentions a certain "Ivan Mistovich," believed to be a merchant or tradesman from the area. Similar spellings, such as "Mistovych" and "Mistowicz," appear in various documents from the region in the following centuries.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MISTOVICH name gained prominence in the Croatian coastal towns and villages, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Marko Mistovich, a respected ship captain and navigator who was born in the city of Split in 1564. He is credited with charting new trade routes across the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas.
Another prominent figure was Ivan Mistovich, a renowned theologian and scholar who lived from 1602 to 1678. He was educated at the University of Zagreb and later taught at various universities across Europe, publishing several influential works on religious philosophy and ethics.
In the 18th century, the MISTOVICH name spread further into neighboring regions, including parts of modern-day Serbia, Bosnia, and Hungary. One individual of note was Petar Mistovich, a military officer who served in the Austrian Empire's army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in the town of Karlovac in 1776 and achieved the rank of Colonel before his death in 1842.
The 19th century saw the MISTOVICH name continue to gain prominence, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. One such person was Marija Mistovich, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who was born in Zagreb in 1822. She established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote access to education for women in Croatia.
Another notable figure from this era was Nikola Mistovich, a renowned architect and urban planner who was born in Rijeka in 1845. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and public spaces throughout Croatia, including the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
As the MISTOVICH name spread and evolved over the centuries, it maintained its strong roots and connections to the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe. While the name may not be as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of the cultural and historical heritage of Croatia and neighboring countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mistovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Mistovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mistovich 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 Mistovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mistovich
Mistovich 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-15 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,614 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-9 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,046 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 19,614 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 10,046 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 Mistovich 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 | #136,449 | #146,495 | -7.4% |
| Count | 123 | 114 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mistovich bearers went from 123 to 114 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 10,046 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #146,495.
FAQ
Mistovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mistovich?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Mistovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Mistovich?
Mistovich ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Mistovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Mistovich.
Has Mistovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mistovich went from 123 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Mistovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mistovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Mistovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mistovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Mistovich (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 Mistovich mean?
A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the village of Mistovice. 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 Mistovich (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 have the surname Mistovich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.