2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pauletich
Croatian surname likely derived from a personal name of Slavic origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Pauletich. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pauletich 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Pauletich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pauletich, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pauletich
The surname Pauletich has its origins in Croatia, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Croatian word "pavletic," which means "little Paul." This suggests that the original bearer of this name may have been a descendant or relative of someone named Paul.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pauletich can be found in the archives of the town of Dubrovnik, located on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. In a document dated 1587, a certain Nikola Pauletich is mentioned as a merchant engaged in trade with neighboring regions.
As the Pauletich family spread throughout the Balkan region, variations in spelling emerged, such as Pauletic, Pauletich, and Pauletić. These variations often reflected local dialects and phonetic adaptations.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Pauletich family settled in the village of Kuna, near the town of Knin, in what is now central Dalmatia. Records from this period show that several Pauletich men served in the local militia, defending the region against Ottoman incursions.
One notable figure from this era was Ivan Pauletich, born in 1632, who rose to the rank of captain in the Venetian army. He is said to have distinguished himself in the Battle of Lépanto in 1571, though this date precedes his birth, suggesting a possible confusion with an earlier relative.
In the 18th century, a Pauletich family established itself in the town of Kotor, which at the time was part of the Republic of Venice. Marco Pauletich, born in 1712, was a respected merchant and shipowner who traded extensively throughout the Mediterranean.
As the Pauletich name spread beyond Croatia, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Mateo Pauletich, born in 1841, was a Chilean poet and philosopher who wrote extensively on metaphysics and the nature of reality.
In the 20th century, Ante Pauletich, born in 1905, was a prominent Croatian sculptor whose works can be found in various public spaces throughout the country. His most famous piece, "The Fisherman," stands in the coastal city of Split.
While the surname Pauletich is not among the most common in Croatia today, it has a rich history that reflects the diverse experiences of those who bore it over the centuries, from merchants and soldiers to artists and thinkers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pauletich
Among Census respondents with the surname Pauletich, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pauletich 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 Pauletich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pauletich
Pauletich 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-20 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,452 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-17 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 23,452 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 15,286 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 Pauletich 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 | #138,304 | #153,590 | -11.1% |
| Count | 121 | 104 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pauletich bearers went from 121 to 104 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 15,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #153,590.
FAQ
Pauletich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pauletich?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Pauletich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Pauletich?
Pauletich ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Pauletich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pauletich.
Has Pauletich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pauletich went from 121 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 17 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Pauletich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pauletich, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Pauletich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pauletich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Pauletich (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 Pauletich mean?
Croatian surname likely derived from a personal name of Slavic origin. 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 Pauletich (0.03 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 are called Pauletich?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Pauletich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.