2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vekich
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "large" or "big".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Vekich. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vekich 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Vekich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vekich, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vekich
The surname VEKICH is of Croatian origin, originating from the Dalmatian region of Croatia. It is believed to have derived from the old Croatian word "velik", which means "great" or "large". The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone of a large stature or perhaps someone of great importance or status.
The earliest recorded instance of the VEKICH surname dates back to the 16th century in the town of Zadar, located in Dalmatia. In a 1572 census record, a man named Jakov VEKICH is listed as a resident of the town. This is one of the earliest known examples of the surname in written records.
In the 17th century, the VEKICH name appeared in various documents and records throughout the Dalmatian region. One notable example is the birth record of Marko VEKICH, born in 1623 in the town of Šibenik. Marko VEKICH was a prominent merchant and trader who played a significant role in the local economy of the time.
The VEKICH surname also appears in historical records from the island of Korčula, a part of the Dalmatian archipelago. In a 1674 land registry, a man named Ivan VEKICH is listed as a landowner on the island. This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of the Dalmatian region by that time.
In the 18th century, the VEKICH name continued to be present in Dalmatian records. One noteworthy individual was Nikola VEKICH, born in 1712 in the town of Split. Nikola VEKICH was a respected lawyer and legal scholar who authored several influential works on Croatian law and jurisprudence.
Another prominent individual with the VEKICH surname was Petar VEKICH, born in 1786 in Zadar. Petar VEKICH was a distinguished military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a high-ranking commander in the Austrian Empire's army.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the VEKICH surname continued to be found in various parts of Croatia, particularly in the Dalmatian region. However, due to historical events and migrations, the name also spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where descendants of Croatian immigrants bearing the VEKICH name can be found today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vekich
Among Census respondents with the surname Vekich, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vekich 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 Vekich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 90
- Two or more races8.3% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vekich
Vekich 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Vekich 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vekich bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Vekich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vekich?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Vekich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Vekich?
Vekich ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Vekich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Vekich.
Has Vekich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vekich went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Vekich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vekich, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Vekich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vekich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Two or More Races (8.3%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Vekich (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 Vekich mean?
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "large" or "big". 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 Vekich (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 share the surname Vekich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.