Find out how popular the last name Novakovic is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Novakovic.

Novakovic, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Novakovic surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Novakovic in America

Novakovic is the 47521st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Novakovic surname appeared 446 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Novakovic.

We can also compare 2010 data for Novakovic to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Novakovic

The surname Novakovic originated in the Balkan region, particularly in Serbia, Croatia, and neighboring countries. It is derived from the Slavic root "nov" meaning "new" and the suffix "-ak/-ovic" indicating a patronymic form, suggesting that the name likely referred to a "son of Novak" or someone named Novak.

The earliest recorded examples of the name can be traced back to the medieval period, appearing in various historical records and documents from the region. One notable reference is found in the Dubrovnik archives, where a certain Radoje Novakovic is mentioned in a document dated 1399.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the Venetian cadastral records of the Dalmatian hinterland, indicating the presence of families bearing the Novakovic surname in the area at that time. The name was also found in various church records and parish registers throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Novakovic surname was particularly prominent among the Serbian nobility and military leaders during the Ottoman period. One notable figure was Jovan Novakovic (1766-1818), a Serbian revolutionary and one of the leaders of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

Another significant individual bearing this surname was Stojan Novakovic (1842-1915), a prominent Serbian politician, academic, and one of the founders of modern Serbian literary criticism. He played a crucial role in the development of Serbian culture and education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the field of literature, Borislav Novakovic (1914-1990) was a renowned Serbian writer and playwright, best known for his plays and novels that explored themes of rural life and the struggles of the Serbian people during World War II.

The Novakovic surname also gained recognition in the realm of sports. Milan Novakovic (1938-2021) was a Serbian basketball player and coach who represented Yugoslavia in international competitions, winning a silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Additionally, the name can be found in various historical records and documents from other Balkan countries, such as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, reflecting the widespread presence of the Novakovic surname in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Novakovic

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Novakovic.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Novakovic was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Novakovic has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Novakovic was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Novakovic, please contact us.

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