2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vitalich
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "long life" or "lively".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Vitalich. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vitalich 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Vitalich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vitalich, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (12.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vitalich
The surname VITALICH is of Croatian origin, originating in the region of Dalmatia along the Adriatic coast. It likely emerged sometime in the late medieval period, between the 13th and 16th centuries. The name is derived from the Slavic root "vit," meaning "twist" or "turn," combined with the Latin suffix "-alius," indicating association or possession. This suggests the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade related to twisting or weaving.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VITALICH surname appears in a document from the Dubrovnik archives, dated to the mid-15th century. This document mentions a merchant named Pavao VITALICH, who traded goods along the Adriatic coast. Another early reference is found in a land registry from the nearby island of Korčula, which lists a landowner named Marin VITALICH in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the VITALICH name can be found in several church records from the coastal town of Omiš, suggesting the family had established a presence there. One notable individual from this period was Ivan VITALICH (c. 1620-1697), a skilled stonemason who helped construct several churches and public buildings in the region.
As the centuries progressed, members of the VITALICH family began to disperse to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the late 18th century, a VITALICH sailor named Marko (1765-1842) joined the Russian Imperial Navy and eventually settled in the port city of Odessa, where his descendants continued to reside.
Another prominent figure was Nikola VITALICH (1809-1888), a philosopher and educator from the town of Vis. He authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy, and served as a professor at the University of Zagreb in the mid-19th century.
In more recent history, the VITALICH name gained recognition through the achievements of the Italian-Croatian artist and sculptor, Luciano VITALICH (1924-2009). Born in Trieste, he was known for his abstract sculptures and installations, which were exhibited in galleries across Europe and North America.
Overall, the surname VITALICH has a rich history rooted in the coastal regions of Croatia, with branches extending to various parts of Europe and beyond over the past few centuries. It continues to be a proud representation of the Croatian cultural heritage and maritime traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vitalich
Among Census respondents with the surname Vitalich, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (12.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vitalich 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 Vitalich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino12.7% · 14
- Two or more races12.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.8% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vitalich
Vitalich 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-23 bearers (-16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,682 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-16.8%) | Down 27,682 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,226 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 Vitalich 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 | #145,220 | #149,446 | -2.9% |
| Count | 114 | 110 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vitalich bearers went from 114 to 110 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,226 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #149,446.
FAQ
Vitalich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vitalich?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Vitalich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Vitalich?
Vitalich ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Vitalich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Vitalich.
Has Vitalich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vitalich went from 114 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Vitalich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vitalich, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (12.7%). 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 Vitalich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vitalich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.7%), Hispanic (12.7%), Two or More Races (12.7%). 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 Vitalich (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 Vitalich mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "long life" or "lively". 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 Vitalich (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 Vitalich?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.