2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Paunovic
A Serbian surname derived from "paun" meaning peacock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Paunovic. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paunovic 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Paunovic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paunovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paunovic
The surname Paunovic is of Serbian origin, originating from the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe. It is derived from the Serbian word "paun," meaning "peacock," and the suffix "-ovic," which indicates patronymic descent or belonging to a family or clan. The name likely originated during the Middle Ages, when surnames were adopted to distinguish individuals and families within the Serbian communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Paunovic surname can be found in the Serbian Orthodox Church records from the 16th century. These records often documented births, marriages, and deaths within the local parishes, providing valuable insights into the history of Serbian families and their surnames.
During the Ottoman occupation of the Balkan region from the 14th to the 19th century, the Paunovic surname may have been associated with certain occupations or trades related to the peacock or its feathers, which were highly prized for their beauty and rarity. However, there is little documented evidence to support this theory conclusively.
In the 19th century, as the Serbian principalities gained independence and the Serbian national identity solidified, the Paunovic surname became more widely recognized and documented. One notable figure from this period was Mihajlo Paunović (1806-1867), a Serbian writer and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of Serbian literature and theater.
Another prominent individual bearing the Paunovic surname was Radovan Paunović (1916-2001), a Serbian football player and manager. He played for several clubs in Yugoslavia and represented the national team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. After retiring as a player, he went on to manage several clubs in Yugoslavia and Greece.
In the 20th century, the Paunovic surname gained international recognition with the success of Veljko Paunović (born 1977), a former Serbian footballer who played for several clubs in Europe, including Atlético Madrid, and represented the Serbian national team. After retiring as a player, he became a successful football manager, coaching clubs in various countries.
Other notable individuals with the Paunovic surname include Živko Paunović (1935-2015), a Serbian actor and director who had a prolific career in theater and film, and Miljan Paunović (born 1996), a Serbian basketball player currently playing in the EuroLeague for Žalgiris Kaunas.
While the Paunovic surname has its roots in the Serbian culture and language, it has since spread across the globe, carried by Serbian emigrants and their descendants. Today, individuals with the Paunovic surname can be found in various countries, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paunovic
Among Census respondents with the surname Paunovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Paunovic 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 Paunovic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paunovic
Paunovic 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+19 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,663 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 17,663 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 Paunovic 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 | #159,712 | #142,049 | 11.1% |
| Count | 101 | 120 | 18.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paunovic bearers went from 101 to 120 (+18.8% change). The surname moved up 17,663 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #142,049.
FAQ
Paunovic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paunovic?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Paunovic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Paunovic?
Paunovic ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Paunovic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Paunovic.
Has Paunovic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paunovic went from 101 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 19 (+18.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Paunovic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paunovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Paunovic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paunovic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Paunovic (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 Paunovic mean?
A Serbian surname derived from "paun" meaning peacock. 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 Paunovic (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 common is the surname Paunovic?
If you just want to know how common the surname Paunovic is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.