2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pletan
A Croatian surname derived from the word "pleten" meaning "woven" or "braided".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Pletan. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pletan 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Pletan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pletan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pletan
The surname Pletan has its origins in Croatia, with the first recorded instances of the name appearing in the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Slavic word "plet," which means "to weave" or "to braid." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the weaving or textile industry.
During the medieval period, many Croatian surnames were derived from occupations or trades, and Pletan likely followed this pattern. The earliest known reference to the name can be found in a historical document from the city of Dubrovnik, dated 1457, which mentions a certain Ivan Pletan, a merchant and trader.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Pletan surname continued to appear in various records and documents from the Croatian regions of Dalmatia and Istria. Notable individuals bearing this name include Marko Pletan (1540-1612), a renowned architect responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the city of Split.
In the 18th century, the Pletan family played a significant role in the development of the town of Cres, located on the island of the same name. Jure Pletan (1712-1788), a wealthy merchant and landowner, was instrumental in the establishment of the town's first school and library.
As the Pletan family spread across different regions of Croatia and beyond, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Pletanić, Pletenica, and Pletenjak. These variations often reflected local dialects or the influence of other languages.
One notable figure from the 19th century was Lovro Pletan (1821-1897), a Croatian politician and writer who served as the mayor of the city of Rijeka and was actively involved in promoting Croatian cultural and linguistic rights.
Other prominent individuals with the Pletan surname include Marija Pletan (1920-2005), a renowned Croatian sculptor whose works can be found in various public spaces and museums throughout the country, and Ivica Pletan (born 1963), a former professional basketball player who represented the Croatian national team in several international competitions.
It is worth noting that while the Pletan surname has its roots in Croatia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage, particularly in countries with significant Croatian diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pletan
Among Census respondents with the surname Pletan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pletan 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 Pletan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 11
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pletan
Pletan 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
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,225 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 Pletan 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 | #147,253 | #145,028 | 1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 116 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pletan bearers went from 112 to 116 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,225 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,028.
FAQ
Pletan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pletan?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Pletan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Pletan?
Pletan ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Pletan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Pletan.
Has Pletan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pletan went from 112 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Pletan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pletan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Pletan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pletan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (9.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Pletan (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 Pletan mean?
A Croatian surname derived from the word "pleten" meaning "woven" or "braided". 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 Pletan (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 share the surname Pletan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.