2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tankovich
A surname of Slavic origin, derived from the occupational term for an armor-maker or armorer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Tankovich. 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 Tankovich 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 Tankovich 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 Tankovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tankovich
The surname Tankovich originated in the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, specifically in the areas of modern-day Croatia and Serbia. Its roots can be traced back to the 14th century, and it is believed to be derived from the Slavic word "tank," which translates to "thin" or "slender." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a slim or lean physique.
The earliest recorded mention of the Tankovich surname can be found in a Croatian census record from the year 1389, where a man named Ivan Tankovich is listed as a resident of the village of Dubrovnik. It's worth noting that the spelling of the name may have varied slightly in those early records, with variations such as Tankovych or Tankowicz appearing in different regions.
Throughout the centuries, the Tankovich name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure is Petar Tankovich (1540-1612), a Croatian historian and writer who documented the events of the Venetian-Ottoman Wars in his works. Another prominent bearer of the name was Marko Tankovich (1678-1748), a Serbian Orthodox cleric and philosopher who played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural life of his time.
In the 18th century, the Tankovich family established itself in the Russian Empire, with several members serving in the imperial military and civil service. One notable example is Andrei Tankovich (1761-1832), a Russian general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Order of St. George for his bravery.
Moving into the 19th century, the Tankovich surname gained further recognition with the birth of Nikola Tankovich (1819-1892), a Croatian painter and art educator who made significant contributions to the development of art education in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, the Tankovich name was carried by Miloš Tankovich (1901-1978), a Serbian poet and writer who was celebrated for his lyrical works and his role in promoting Serbian literature during a turbulent period in the region's history.
While the Tankovich surname may not be as widespread as some other Slavic names, its rich history and the notable individuals who have borne it demonstrate its enduring significance in the cultural tapestry of Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tankovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Tankovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tankovich 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 Tankovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 107
- Two or more races6.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tankovich
Tankovich 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
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,800 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5,800 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 Tankovich 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 | #139,228 | #145,028 | -4.2% |
| Count | 120 | 116 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tankovich bearers went from 120 to 116 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5,800 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,028.
FAQ
Tankovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tankovich?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Tankovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Tankovich?
Tankovich 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 Tankovich. 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 Tankovich.
Has Tankovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tankovich went from 120 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Tankovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tankovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Tankovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tankovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Tankovich (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 Tankovich mean?
A surname of Slavic origin, derived from the occupational term for an armor-maker or armorer. 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 Tankovich (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 Tankovich?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Tankovich is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.