2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Opacic
A surname derived from the word "opaka" meaning "cauldron" or "kettle" in some Slavic languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Opacic. 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 Opacic 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 Opacic 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 Opacic, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Opacic
The surname Opacic originates from the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, most likely from the area that is now Croatia. It first emerged in the late 15th century, derived from the Slavic root word "opak," meaning "contrary" or "perverse." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a contrarian or stubborn personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Opacic name can be found in a 16th-century census record from the village of Gračac, located in what is now the Zadar County of Croatia. This document lists a family headed by a man named Ivan Opacic, who was likely a farmer or tradesman.
In the 17th century, the Opacic name began to spread beyond its origins in Croatia, with some families migrating to neighboring regions such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro. During this period, variations in spelling such as Opačić and Opachich emerged, reflecting the different dialects and orthographic conventions of these areas.
One notable figure bearing the Opacic surname was Marko Opacic (1628-1701), a Catholic priest and educator who founded a school in the town of Kaštel Novi, near Split, Croatia. This institution played a significant role in promoting education and literacy in the region during the 17th century.
Another notable individual was Petar Opacic (1772-1844), a Croatian military officer who served in the Austrian Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of colonel and was awarded several decorations for his service and bravery in battle.
In the 19th century, the Opacic name began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, as some families emigrated westward in search of economic opportunities. One such individual was Jakov Opacic (1815-1892), a Croatian-born businessman who settled in Vienna, Austria, and established a successful trading company.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Opacic surname had also spread to other parts of the world, including North and South America, as Croatian emigrants sought new opportunities abroad. One notable figure from this period was Ante Opacic (1878-1956), a Croatian-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the experiences of Croatian immigrants in the United States.
While the origins of the Opacic surname can be traced back to the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly Croatia, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have contributed to the rich tapestry of human history and experience.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Opacic
Among Census respondents with the surname Opacic, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Opacic 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 Opacic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 106
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Opacic
Opacic 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+10 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 529 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 529 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,218 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 Opacic 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 | #139,228 | #149,446 | -7.3% |
| Count | 120 | 110 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Opacic bearers went from 120 to 110 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #149,446.
FAQ
Opacic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Opacic?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Opacic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Opacic?
Opacic 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 Opacic. 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 Opacic.
Has Opacic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Opacic went from 120 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Opacic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Opacic, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Opacic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Opacic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Opacic (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 Opacic mean?
A surname derived from the word "opaka" meaning "cauldron" or "kettle" in some Slavic languages. 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 Opacic (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 Opacic?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Opacic is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.