2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Valentich
A surname of Italian origin, derived from the given name Valentino.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Valentich. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valentich 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Valentich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valentich, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valentich
The surname Valentich is a Croatian surname that originated in the Balkans region of Southeastern Europe. It is believed to have its roots in the medieval Croatian region of Dalmatia, which was heavily influenced by Venetian and Italian culture during the Middle Ages.
The name Valentich is derived from the Latin personal name Valentinus, which was derived from the Latin word "valens," meaning "strong" or "healthy." This name was popular among early Christians and was frequently given to children in honor of various saints and martyrs named Valentinus.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valentich can be found in the 14th century Venetian archives, where a certain "Valentico de Ragusa" (Valentich of Dubrovnik) is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the city-state of Dubrovnik, which was a prominent maritime republic at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Valentich was Ivan Valentich, a Croatian Renaissance poet and playwright from the island of Hvar. He was born in 1521 and is considered one of the most important writers of the Croatian Renaissance period.
Another historical figure with the surname Valentich was Nikola Valentich, a Croatian naval officer and explorer who served in the Venetian navy in the 18th century. He was born in 1717 and is known for his explorations of the Adriatic Sea and the Mediterranean region.
In the 19th century, a prominent Valentich was Josip Valentich, a Croatian politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Dubrovnik from 1869 to 1871. He was born in 1820 and played an important role in the cultural and political life of the city during that period.
Another notable figure with the surname Valentich was Mirko Valentich, a Croatian painter and sculptor who lived from 1865 to 1942. He was a leading figure in the Croatian modern art movement and is known for his vibrant and expressive works that depicted scenes from everyday life in Croatia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valentich in the English-speaking world can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Croatian immigrants began arriving in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Many of these immigrants settled in coastal regions and contributed to the maritime and fishing industries in their new homes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valentich
Among Census respondents with the surname Valentich, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Valentich 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 Valentich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino13.1% · 13
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valentich
Valentich 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+5 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,227 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-25 bearers (-20.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 4,227 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-20.2%) | Down 20,412 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 Valentich 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 | #135,593 | #156,005 | -15.1% |
| Count | 124 | 99 | -20.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valentich bearers went from 124 to 99 (-20.2% change). The surname moved down 20,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #156,005.
FAQ
Valentich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valentich?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Valentich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Valentich?
Valentich ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Valentich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Valentich.
Has Valentich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valentich went from 124 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 25 (-20.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Valentich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valentich, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Valentich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valentich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (13.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Valentich (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 Valentich mean?
A surname of Italian origin, derived from the given name Valentino. 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 Valentich (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 share the surname Valentich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.