2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Petranovich
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "son of Petar".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Petranovich. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petranovich 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Petranovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petranovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Petranovich
The surname Petranovich originated from the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in Croatia and Serbia, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic personal name "Petar," which means "rock" or "stone," combined with the Slavic suffix "-ović," indicating "son of" or "descendant of."
The earliest known record of the Petranovich surname can be found in the archives of the Republic of Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik, Croatia), where it appears in a 1453 document referring to a merchant named Nikola Petranović. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 16th century, the Petranovich surname was prominently associated with the noble Petranović family from the town of Čačak in present-day Serbia. This family played a significant role in the region's history and produced several notable figures, including Jovan Petranović (1572-1645), a Serbian patriarch and writer.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Petranovich surname spread to other parts of the Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and parts of modern-day Croatia and Slovenia. It was often associated with prominent families, merchants, and intellectuals of the time.
One notable bearer of the Petranovich surname was Jovan Petranović (1708-1773), a Serbian writer and historian who authored the work "Memoirs of the Life and Customs of the Serbian People." His writings provide valuable insights into the cultural and historical traditions of the Serbian people during that era.
Another prominent figure was Matija Petranović (1851-1918), a Croatian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Croatian Parliament and was a vocal advocate for Croatian nationalism and independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In the 19th century, the Petranovich surname also appeared in the United States, as individuals from the Balkans began immigrating to the country. One early example is Nikola Petranović (1836-1910), a Serbian-American journalist and activist who played a significant role in the Serbian immigrant community in the United States.
Throughout its history, the Petranovich surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from merchants and intellectuals to politicians and activists. Despite its origins in the Slavic regions, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the diverse diaspora of Slavic communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petranovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Petranovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Petranovich 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 Petranovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petranovich
Petranovich 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,357 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,357 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 247 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 Petranovich 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 | #150,452 | #150,205 | 0.2% |
| Count | 109 | 109 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petranovich bearers went from 109 to 109 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,205.
FAQ
Petranovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petranovich?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Petranovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Petranovich?
Petranovich ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Petranovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Petranovich.
Has Petranovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petranovich went from 109 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Petranovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petranovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Petranovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petranovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Petranovich (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 Petranovich mean?
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "son of Petar". 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 Petranovich (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 Petranovich?
See how common the surname Petranovich is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.