2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vucinic
A surname of Serbian origin meaning "resembling a wolf" or "wolf-like".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Vucinic. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vucinic 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Vucinic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vucinic, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vucinic
The surname Vucinic originates from the Slavic regions of southeastern Europe, most likely Montenegro or Serbia. Its roots can be traced back to the late 15th or early 16th century when the name first appeared in historical records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vucinic surname was found in a Venetian census from 1508, where it was spelled "Vuccinic". This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as standardized spellings were not widely adopted until much later.
The name Vucinic is believed to be derived from the Slavic word "vuk", meaning "wolf". It is likely that the surname was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone who possessed wolf-like qualities or lived in an area with a significant wolf population.
In the 16th century, a prominent Vucinic family owned land and property in the village of Cetinje, which was then part of the independent Principality of Zeta. This village later became the capital of Montenegro.
One notable Vucinic from the early 19th century was Petar Vucinic, a Montenegrin writer and poet who was born in 1815 and played a significant role in the development of modern Montenegrin literature.
Another historical figure with the Vucinic surname was Jovan Vucinic, a Serbian Orthodox monk who lived in the late 17th century. He is known for his contributions to the preservation of Serbian cultural heritage and his work in transcribing and copying important manuscripts.
In the late 19th century, a Vucinic family emigrated from Montenegro to the United States, settling in the state of California. One member of this family, Milorad Vucinic (1872-1944), became a successful businessman and philanthropist, supporting various educational and cultural initiatives within the Montenegrin-American community.
During the 20th century, several Vucinic individuals gained prominence in various fields. Milica Vucinic (1910-1992) was a renowned Serbian painter and sculptor, known for her abstract and expressionist works.
Branko Vucinic (1924-2016) was a respected Yugoslav and Serbian diplomat who served as Yugoslavia's ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union.
While the Vucinic surname is most prevalent in Montenegro, Serbia, and surrounding regions, it can also be found in other parts of the world due to emigration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Slavic traditions of southeastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vucinic
Among Census respondents with the surname Vucinic, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vucinic 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 Vucinic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vucinic
Vucinic 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,064 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,064 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 Vucinic 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 | #140,157 | #147,221 | -5.0% |
| Count | 119 | 113 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vucinic bearers went from 119 to 113 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 7,064 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #147,221.
FAQ
Vucinic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vucinic?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Vucinic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Vucinic?
Vucinic ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Vucinic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Vucinic.
Has Vucinic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vucinic went from 119 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Vucinic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vucinic, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Hispanic (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 Vucinic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vucinic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), Hispanic (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 Vucinic (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 Vucinic mean?
A surname of Serbian origin meaning "resembling a wolf" or "wolf-like". 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 Vucinic (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 Vucinic?
You can see how many people have the surname Vucinic on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.