2000
#7,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Popovich
A patronymic surname derived from the Slavic personal name Popov, meaning "son of a priest."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,042 Americans carry the last name Popovich. That puts it at #8,912 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,798 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Popovich 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
4.0K
1 in 84,798
Census rank
#8,912
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,525 bearers of the surname Popovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8912th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Popovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Popovich
The surname Popovich originated in Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Popa, which means "priest" in Serbian. The name likely emerged in the medieval period, when it was common for individuals to adopt surnames based on their father's occupation or personal name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Popovich can be found in the Dubrovnik Archives, which date back to the 13th century. The archives contain references to individuals with the surname Popovich, indicating that the name was already in use during that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Mihailo Popovich (1430-1486) was mentioned in historical records as a Serbian diplomat and writer. He served as an ambassador for the Serbian Despotate and is known for his literary works, including a biography of Serbian ruler Stefan Lazarević.
Another significant individual with the surname Popovich was Radovan Popovich (1939-2022), a Serbian cosmonaut who became the first non-Russian and first Yugoslav to travel into space. He participated in the Soyuz 18a mission in 1980 and spent nearly eight days aboard the Salyut 6 space station.
In the 19th century, a place called Popovich Brdo (Popovich Hill) was mentioned in historical documents related to the Serbian Principality. This suggests that the surname may have been associated with certain geographical locations or settlements.
Other notable individuals with the surname Popovich include:
1. Mihajlo Popovich (1823-1876), a Serbian painter and one of the founders of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
2. Vojislav Popovich (1916-2002), a Serbian writer and translator known for his works on Serbian folklore and literature.
3. Branko Popovich (1905-1986), a Yugoslav chess grandmaster and one of the strongest players in the world during the 1930s and 1940s.
4. Dušan Popovich (1912-1981), a Serbian mathematician and professor who made significant contributions to the field of functional analysis.
5. Vasilije Popovich (1870-1924), a Serbian Orthodox priest and writer who played a significant role in the cultural and religious life of Serbia in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Popovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Popovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Popovich 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 Popovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 3,202
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 165
- Two or more races2.9% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- Black or African American0.7% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Popovich
Popovich 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
#8,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,957
-98 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 805 places
2020
#8,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,525
-432 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 544 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,563 | 4,055 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,368 | 3,957 | 1.34 | -98 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 805 places |
| 2020 | #8,912 | 3,525 | 1.18 | -432 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 544 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 Popovich 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 | #8,368 | #8,912 | -6.5% |
| Count | 3,957 | 3,525 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.18 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Popovich bearers went from 3,957 to 3,525 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 544 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,368 to #8,912.
FAQ
Popovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Popovich?
Name Census estimates that about 4,042 living Americans carry the surname Popovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,798 residents.
How common is Popovich?
Popovich ranks #8,912 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,525 people with the surname Popovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,042), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Popovich.
Has Popovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Popovich went from 3,957 recorded bearers to 3,525. That is a decrease of 432 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,368 to #8,912.
What does the Census say about the background of Popovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Popovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Popovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (3,202 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Popovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Popovich (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 Popovich mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the Slavic personal name Popov, meaning "son of a priest." 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 Popovich (1.18 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 Popovich?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.