2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ninkovic
A Serbian surname likely derived from a diminutive form of the name "Nino".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Ninkovic. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ninkovic 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Ninkovic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ninkovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ninkovic
The surname Ninkovic originated in the Balkans, specifically in the region of Serbia and Montenegro. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime between the 12th and 15th centuries. The name is derived from the Slavic word "nin", which translates to "monk" or "clergyman". This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have had ties to the Eastern Orthodox Church or were members of a monastic order.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ninkovic can be found in a manuscript from the 14th century, which documented the transfer of land ownership in the region of present-day Montenegro. The document mentions a certain "Jovan Ninkovic" as a landowner and influential figure in the local community.
In the 16th century, the surname Ninkovic appeared in records from the Republic of Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia), indicating that bearers of this name had migrated to the Adriatic coast. One notable individual from this period was Marko Ninkovic, a merchant and ship owner who established trade routes between Ragusa and various Mediterranean ports.
During the 18th century, the Ninkovic family gained prominence in the region of Vojvodina, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ivan Ninkovic (1725-1798) was a respected military officer who served in the Habsburg army and participated in several campaigns against the Ottoman Empire.
As the 19th century dawned, the surname Ninkovic began to spread beyond the Balkans. Miloš Ninkovic (1821-1892), a Serbian writer and journalist, became a prominent figure in the literary circles of Vienna and played a significant role in promoting Serbian culture and nationalism.
Another noteworthy individual was Petar Ninkovic (1888-1964), a Serbian-American artist and sculptor who emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. His works, which often depicted scenes from Serbian folklore and history, were widely exhibited and celebrated in both his homeland and adopted country.
While the surname Ninkovic may have evolved over time and adapted to various regional pronunciations and spellings, its roots can be traced back to the Balkan region, where it has a long and fascinating history spanning centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ninkovic
Among Census respondents with the surname Ninkovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Ninkovic 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 Ninkovic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 117
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ninkovic
Ninkovic 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 6,182 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 Ninkovic 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 | #150,452 | #144,270 | 4.1% |
| Count | 109 | 117 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ninkovic bearers went from 109 to 117 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 6,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #144,270.
FAQ
Ninkovic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ninkovic?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Ninkovic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Ninkovic?
Ninkovic ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Ninkovic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Ninkovic.
Has Ninkovic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ninkovic went from 109 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ninkovic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ninkovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Ninkovic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ninkovic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Ninkovic (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 Ninkovic mean?
A Serbian surname likely derived from a diminutive form of the name "Nino". 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 Ninkovic (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 last name Ninkovic?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Ninkovic on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.