2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pavesich
A surname of Polish/Ukrainian origin meaning "little spider".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Pavesich. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pavesich 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Pavesich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavesich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pavesich
The surname Pavesich is of Croatian origin, derived from the Slavic word "paveza," which means "shield." The name first emerged in the coastal regions of Croatia during the 13th century.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Pavezić" or "Pavežić," reflecting the linguistic variations common in that era. The name was likely adopted by a family or individual associated with the production or use of shields, either as artisans or warriors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pavesich can be found in the municipal archives of the city of Dubrovnik, where a certain Nikola Pavezić is mentioned in a document dated 1329. This document pertains to a land dispute, suggesting that the Pavesich family had already established roots in the region by that time.
During the 15th century, as the Republic of Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik) gained prominence as a maritime trading center, several families bearing the name Pavesich are recorded as seafarers and merchants. Notably, a Captain Marko Pavesich is mentioned in the ship's logs of a Ragusan vessel that sailed to the Levant in 1472.
In the 16th century, the name Pavesich appears in records related to the Croatian military, with several individuals serving in the Croatian mercenary units that fought for the Venetian Republic. One such individual was Ivan Pavesich, who is mentioned in a Venetian military chronicle from 1524 for his bravery in the battle against the Ottoman Turks.
As the centuries passed, the Pavesich surname spread beyond Croatia's borders, with families bearing the name settling in various parts of Europe and eventually immigrating to the Americas. One notable figure was Josip Pavesich, a Croatian-born artist who lived in the late 19th century and gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits.
Another prominent individual was Mateo Pavesich, a Croatian-American writer and journalist who was born in Dubrovnik in 1857 and later immigrated to the United States, where he became a vocal advocate for Croatian independence and cultural preservation.
Throughout history, the surname Pavesich has been associated with various professions and fields, from military service and seafaring to the arts and literature. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Croatia, the name has since become a part of the cultural fabric of numerous countries and communities worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pavesich
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavesich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pavesich 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 Pavesich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pavesich
Pavesich 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,367 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-15 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 3,367 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 12,647 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 Pavesich 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 | #154,755 | -8.9% |
| Count | 117 | 102 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pavesich bearers went from 117 to 102 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 12,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,755.
FAQ
Pavesich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pavesich?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Pavesich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Pavesich?
Pavesich ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Pavesich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Pavesich.
Has Pavesich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pavesich went from 117 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Pavesich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavesich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Pavesich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pavesich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Pavesich (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 Pavesich mean?
A surname of Polish/Ukrainian origin meaning "little spider". 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 Pavesich (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 have the last name Pavesich?
See how many Americans have the surname Pavesich on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.