2000
#9,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,016
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Slaven
A surname of Slavic origin, derived from the word "slava" meaning "glory" or "fame."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,511 Americans carry the last name Slaven. That puts it at #10,039 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,623 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slaven 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Slaven with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,623
Census rank
#10,039
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,062 bearers of the surname Slaven in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10039th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slaven, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slaven
The surname Slaven has its origins in the Slavic language and culture, and is believed to have first emerged in the region of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Slavic word "slava," which means "glory" or "fame," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have been individuals of notable reputation or achievement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Slaven surname can be found in the 14th century Polish chronicles, where it appears in reference to a prominent noble family. In the 15th century, a variant spelling, Slavin, is documented in the Bohemian region, indicating the name's spread and adaptation across different Slavic territories.
During the Renaissance period, the Slaven name gained further prominence, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such figure was Jan Slaven (1480-1548), a renowned Czech humanist scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the development of the Czech language and literature.
In the 17th century, the Slaven surname appeared in various records across Central and Eastern Europe, including the Prussian regions. A notable bearer of this name was Caspar Slaven (1635-1701), a German-born Jesuit missionary who traveled extensively in Asia, leaving behind valuable accounts of his travels and cultural observations.
As the Slavic diaspora spread across the globe, the Slaven surname also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 19th century, records show individuals with the Slaven surname emigrating to the Americas, particularly to the United States and Canada, where they established new communities and contributed to the cultural diversity of these nations.
Among the notable figures with the Slaven surname in more recent history are:
1. Zora Slaven (1920-2005), a Croatian-born American writer and journalist who wrote extensively about Slavic culture and history.
2. Michael Slaven (born 1958), an American actor and producer known for his work in films and television shows.
3. Slavenko Musladin (1935-2011), a Croatian-born Australian painter and sculptor who was recognized for his contributions to the Australian art scene.
4. Slavomir Rawicz (1915-2004), a Polish-born British writer and former prisoner of war, best known for his memoir "The Long Walk."
5. Slavica Cukalovic (born 1978), a Serbian-born Canadian professional basketball player who represented Canada in international competitions.
While the origins of the Slaven surname can be traced back to the Slavic regions of Central and Eastern Europe, it has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals of Slavic descent and those who have adopted this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slaven
Among Census respondents with the surname Slaven, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Slaven 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 Slaven surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 2,797
- Two or more races3.6% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 109
- Black or African American0.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slaven
Slaven 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
#10,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,221
+205 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 137 places
2020
#10,039
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,062
-159 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,874 | 3,016 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,011 | 3,221 | 1.09 | +205 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 137 places |
| 2020 | #10,039 | 3,062 | 1.02 | -159 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 28 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 Slaven 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 | #10,011 | #10,039 | -0.3% |
| Count | 3,221 | 3,062 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.02 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slaven bearers went from 3,221 to 3,062 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,011 to #10,039.
FAQ
Slaven surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slaven?
Name Census estimates that about 3,511 living Americans carry the surname Slaven. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,623 residents.
How common is Slaven?
Slaven ranks #10,039 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,062 people with the surname Slaven. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Slaven.
Has Slaven become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slaven went from 3,221 recorded bearers to 3,062. That is a decrease of 159 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,011 to #10,039.
What does the Census say about the background of Slaven?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slaven, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Slaven in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (2,797 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slaven appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Slaven (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 Slaven mean?
A surname of Slavic origin, derived from the word "slava" meaning "glory" or "fame." 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 Slaven (1.02 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 Slaven?
Want to know how many people have the surname Slaven? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.