2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sivanich
A Russian surname derived from the term "sivonikov", meaning a person with gray hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Sivanich. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sivanich 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Sivanich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sivanich, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sivanich
The surname Sivanich is believed to have its origins in the Balkan region, specifically in Croatia and Serbia. It is derived from the Slavic root "siv," which means "gray" or "ashen," and was likely used as a descriptive name referring to someone with gray hair or a pale complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sivanich can be found in the Dubrovnik archives, dating back to the 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Sivanich," "Sivanić," and "Šivanić," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.
In the 16th century, the Sivanich family was prominent in the coastal town of Budva, Montenegro. Nikola Sivanich (c. 1520-1585) was a renowned seafarer and merchant who established trade routes between the Adriatic coast and the Mediterranean.
During the Ottoman rule in the Balkans, the Sivanich name was also found in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Petar Sivanich (c. 1670-1734) was a prominent Orthodox Christian scholar and theologian who played a significant role in preserving the cultural and religious traditions of the region.
As the Sivanich family migrated across Europe, the name spread to other regions. In the 18th century, Ivan Sivanich (1722-1798) was a renowned painter and artist in Vienna, Austria, known for his portraits and religious paintings.
In the 19th century, the Sivanich name gained prominence in Russia. Mikhail Sivanich (1844-1918) was a highly respected military commander who served in the Russian Imperial Army during the Russo-Turkish War and the First World War.
Throughout history, the Sivanich surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from seafaring and trade to academia, art, and military service. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its Slavic roots and connection to the Balkan region have remained a constant thread in its rich and diverse history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sivanich
Among Census respondents with the surname Sivanich, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sivanich 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 Sivanich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Two or more races7.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sivanich
Sivanich 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Sivanich 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sivanich bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Sivanich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sivanich?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Sivanich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Sivanich?
Sivanich ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Sivanich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Sivanich.
Has Sivanich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sivanich went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Sivanich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sivanich, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Sivanich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sivanich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Sivanich (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 Sivanich mean?
A Russian surname derived from the term "sivonikov", meaning a person with gray hair. 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 Sivanich (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 Sivanich?
You can see how many people have the last name Sivanich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.