Vukelić last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Vukelić is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Vukelić.

Meaning of Vukelić

A surname from the South Slavic regions referring to one's occupation or ancestry as a wolf-keeper or wolf-hunter.

Vukelić, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Vukelić surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vukelić in America

Vukelić is the 90113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vukelić surname appeared 205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Vukelić.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vukelić to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 90113 94227 -4.46%
Count 205 180 12.99%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.07 0.00%

The history of the last name Vukelić

The surname Vukelic originated in the Slavic regions of southeastern Europe, likely in present-day Croatia or Serbia, sometime during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Slavic root "vuk," meaning "wolf." This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone perceived as possessing wolf-like qualities, such as fierceness or cunning.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the Dubrovnik region of Croatia, which mentions a certain Vukelic Milosevic. This indicates that the name had already been established in the area by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various records from the region of Dalmatia, which was then under Venetian control. For example, a merchant named Vukelic Dragovic is mentioned in a 1457 contract from the city of Zadar.

As the centuries passed, the name spread to other parts of the Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it is still relatively common today. One notable bearer of the name was Vukelic Petrovic (1677-1737), a Serbian Orthodox bishop and writer who played an influential role in the religious and cultural life of the region.

In the 19th century, as immigration from the Balkans to the United States and other parts of the world increased, the name began to appear in new locations. One early American bearer of the name was Vukelic Jovanovic (1845-1920), a Serbian immigrant who settled in California and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Another notable figure with the surname Vukelic was Vukelic Pljevaljski (1885-1941), a Montenegrin poet and writer who made significant contributions to the literary culture of his country.

Overall, the surname Vukelic has a rich history rooted in the Slavic traditions of southeastern Europe, and it continues to be carried by individuals of various nationalities and backgrounds around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vukelić

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Vukelić.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Vukelić was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.61% 196
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 4.39% 9

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Vukelić has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.61% 96.67% -1.10%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 4.39% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Vukelić was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Vukelić, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Vukelić last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 10, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/vukelic-surname-popularity/.

"Vukelić last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/vukelic-surname-popularity/. Accessed 10 July, 2025

Vukelić last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/vukelic-surname-popularity/.

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