2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pasalic
A surname potentially derived from pastoral occupations or regional origins in Croatia or nearby regions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Pasalic. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pasalic 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Pasalic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pasalic, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pasalic
The surname PASALIC has its origins in the Slavic regions of southeastern Europe, particularly in present-day Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely derived from a Slavic root word or phrase related to herding or farming.
One theory suggests that the name PASALIC is linked to the Croatian word "pašaluk," which refers to a specific type of pastureland or grazing area. This connection could indicate that the earliest bearers of this surname were involved in pastoral activities or owned significant tracts of pastureland.
Historically, surnames in the Balkan region were often derived from occupations, descriptive epithets, or place names. As such, PASALIC may have originated as a descriptive surname referring to someone associated with pastures or livestock.
The earliest known record of the PASALIC surname dates back to the 15th century, with mentions found in various chronicles and church records from the region. One notable example is the 1467 document from the town of Dubrovnik, which references a certain Petar PASALIC, a local landowner and cattle farmer.
In the 16th century, the surname PASALIC began to appear in other parts of the Balkan region, including present-day Serbia and Montenegro. This suggests that families bearing this name may have migrated or established branches in neighboring areas during this period.
Among the notable historical figures with the PASALIC surname is Marko PASALIC (1508-1573), a prominent merchant and diplomat from Dubrovnik who represented the city's interests in negotiations with the Ottoman Empire. Another noteworthy individual is Nikola PASALIC (1683-1757), a Bosnian Franciscan friar and scholar known for his contributions to linguistics and theology.
In the 19th century, the PASALIC surname gained further recognition with the birth of Jovan PASALIC (1837-1895), a Serbian author and journalist who played a significant role in the literary and cultural movements of his time.
Other notable individuals with the PASALIC surname include Ivana PASALIC (1906-1988), a Croatian sculptor and artist renowned for her public works and monuments, and Mirsad PASALIC (born 1975), a contemporary Bosnian footballer who represented his country in international competitions.
While the surname PASALIC has its roots in the Balkan region, over time, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical origins and potential connections to pastoral traditions and landholdings in southeastern Europe remain a defining aspect of its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pasalic
Among Census respondents with the surname Pasalic, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pasalic 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 Pasalic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pasalic
Pasalic 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,649 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 Pasalic 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 | #142,108 | #145,757 | -2.6% |
| Count | 117 | 115 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pasalic bearers went from 117 to 115 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,757.
FAQ
Pasalic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pasalic?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Pasalic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Pasalic?
Pasalic ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Pasalic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Pasalic.
Has Pasalic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pasalic went from 117 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Pasalic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pasalic, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) 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 Pasalic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pasalic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), 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 Pasalic (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 Pasalic mean?
A surname potentially derived from pastoral occupations or regional origins in Croatia or nearby regions. 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 Pasalic (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 Pasalic?
Find out how many people have the surname Pasalic on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.