2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pogar
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "to burn" or "to scorch."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Pogar. 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 Pogar 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 Pogar 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 Pogar, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pogar
The surname Pogar is thought to have originated in Croatia, dating back to the early 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Slavic word "pogor," which means "fire" or "burning." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a burned area or worked with fire in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pogar appears in a Croatian land registry from the year 1432, where a certain Petar Pogar is listed as a landowner in the village of Bribir. This village, located in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, was historically part of the Kingdom of Croatia, which at the time was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary.
In the 16th century, the name Pogar can be found in several historical documents from the region, including church records and tax registers. One notable individual was Ivan Pogar, a merchant from the city of Rijeka, who was born around 1520 and is mentioned in a trade agreement with Venetian merchants in 1562.
As the centuries progressed, the Pogar surname spread across Croatia and neighboring regions. In the late 18th century, a branch of the family established itself in the town of Gospić, where they owned a successful bakery business. One member of this branch, Marko Pogar (1768-1842), is recorded as having been a respected baker and community leader in Gospić.
Another notable bearer of the Pogar name was Ante Pogar (1832-1898), a Croatian politician and lawyer from the city of Split. He served as a member of the Dalmatian Parliament and was a vocal advocate for Croatian autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In the 20th century, the Pogar surname continued to be found across Croatia, as well as in neighboring countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, where Croatian communities had settled. One individual of note was Stipe Pogar (1919-2001), a Croatian writer and journalist from the island of Korčula, who wrote several books on the history and culture of the Adriatic region.
While the origins of the Pogar surname can be traced back to Croatia, it is important to note that variations of the name, such as Pogor, Pogár, and Pogorić, can also be found in other Slavic countries, suggesting a possible common root or shared etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pogar
Among Census respondents with the surname Pogar, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pogar 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 Pogar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 10
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pogar
Pogar 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,303 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+12 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,016 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 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 17,303 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 11,016 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 Pogar 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 | #156,044 | #145,028 | 7.1% |
| Count | 104 | 116 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pogar bearers went from 104 to 116 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 11,016 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #145,028.
FAQ
Pogar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pogar?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Pogar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Pogar?
Pogar 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 Pogar. 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 Pogar.
Has Pogar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pogar went from 104 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 12 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Pogar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pogar, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Pogar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pogar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (8.6%), Black (2.6%). 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 Pogar (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 Pogar mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "to burn" or "to scorch." 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 Pogar (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 are called Pogar?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Pogar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.