2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spanovich
A surname derived from the region or place name Span.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Spanovich. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spanovich 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Spanovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spanovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spanovich
The surname Spanovich has its origins in Croatia, a country located in the Balkans region of Southeastern Europe. The name likely emerged in the 15th or 16th century, derived from the Croatian word "spanovati," which means "to govern" or "to rule." It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Spanovich can be found in the archives of the Dubrovnik Republic, an independent city-state that existed from the 14th to the early 19th century. These records mention a prominent family bearing the name Spanovich, who played a significant role in the governance and trade activities of the Republic.
In the 17th century, the Spanovich name appeared in various historical documents from the region, including church records and land registries. Notable mentions include Ivan Spanovich, a wealthy merchant born in 1632, and Marko Spanovich, a respected military commander who served in the Venetian-Ottoman wars during the late 1600s.
As the centuries progressed, the Spanovich name continued to be associated with notable figures in Croatian history. One such individual was Nikola Spanovich (1865-1941), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as the mayor of Split, a major city on the Dalmatian coast, in the early 20th century.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Spanovich surname was Josip Spanovich (1897-1968), a renowned Croatian sculptor and painter. His works, which often depicted scenes from daily life and traditional Croatian culture, can be found in various museums and galleries throughout the country.
In the literary realm, the name Spanovich is connected to Ante Spanovich (1920-2006), a celebrated Croatian author and poet. His works, which explored themes of identity, nostalgia, and the human condition, earned him numerous accolades and awards throughout his career.
While the Spanovich name has its roots in Croatia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. Individuals bearing this surname can now be found in various countries, carrying on the legacy of their Croatian heritage and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spanovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Spanovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Spanovich 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 Spanovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spanovich
Spanovich 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-12 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,305 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 22,305 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 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 Spanovich 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 | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spanovich bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Spanovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spanovich?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Spanovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Spanovich?
Spanovich ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Spanovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Spanovich.
Has Spanovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spanovich went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Spanovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spanovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Spanovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spanovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (7.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Spanovich (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 Spanovich mean?
A surname derived from the region or place name Span. 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 Spanovich (0.03 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 Spanovich?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Spanovich, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.