2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vujnovich
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "son of Vujko", with "Vujko" being a diminutive form of "Vuk" (wolf).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Vujnovich. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vujnovich 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Vujnovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vujnovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vujnovich
The surname Vujnovich has its origins in the Balkans, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Croatia. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Slavic root word "vuj," which is associated with wolves or wolf-like characteristics, potentially indicating a connection to a person's physical appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vujnovich can be found in a document from the city of Dubrovnik, dated 1432. This document mentions a certain Nikola Vujnovich, who was a merchant and landowner in the area. Another notable early bearer of the name was Marko Vujnovich, a prominent military commander who served in the Venetian army during the 16th century.
The name Vujnovich has also been associated with several notable historical figures throughout the centuries. Ivan Vujnovich (1775-1852) was a Croatian writer and poet who made significant contributions to the development of the Croatian literary language. In the 19th century, Andrija Vujnovich (1825-1903) was a renowned Croatian painter and art teacher, known for his landscapes and portraits.
As the Vujnovich family spread across the Balkans and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Vujnovic, Vujnovich, and Vujnovic. These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic influences. For example, in the region of Dalmatia, the name was commonly spelled as Vujnovich, while in other parts of Croatia, it was more commonly written as Vujnovic.
One notable bearer of the name in more recent history was Milivoje Vujnović (1919-2004), a Serbian painter and sculptor who was widely acclaimed for his abstract and experimental works. His contributions to the art world earned him recognition both within Yugoslavia and internationally.
Another significant figure was Andrija Vujnović (1922-2010), a Croatian writer and playwright who was a prominent figure in the literary scene of the former Yugoslavia. His plays and novels explored themes of identity, social issues, and the complexities of human relationships.
Throughout its history, the surname Vujnovich has been closely tied to the cultural and historical fabric of the Balkan region, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage of the area. While its origins may be rooted in the distant past, the name continues to be carried forward by individuals who contribute to various fields and disciplines.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vujnovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Vujnovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vujnovich 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 Vujnovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vujnovich
Vujnovich 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,043 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,043 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,788 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 Vujnovich 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 | #146,201 | #152,989 | -4.6% |
| Count | 113 | 105 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vujnovich bearers went from 113 to 105 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,989.
FAQ
Vujnovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vujnovich?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Vujnovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Vujnovich?
Vujnovich ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Vujnovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Vujnovich.
Has Vujnovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vujnovich went from 113 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Vujnovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vujnovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Vujnovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vujnovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%), Black (1.9%). 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 Vujnovich (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 Vujnovich mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "son of Vujko", with "Vujko" being a diminutive form of "Vuk" (wolf). 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 Vujnovich (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 Vujnovich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.