2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zaric
Of Slavic origin, referring to someone with a bright or glorious appearance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Zaric. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zaric 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Zaric in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaric, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zaric
The surname Zaric has its origins in the Balkans, particularly within the regions of Serbia and Montenegro. The name is derived from the Slavic word 'zar', which translates to 'embers' or 'fire'. This etymology suggests that the name could have originally been given to someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith, or someone with a fiery temperament.
The surname Zaric first appeared in historical records in the late medieval period. One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in a 15th-century manuscript detailing the families present in the region of Herzegovina. This indicates that the Zaric family was well established by this time and likely held some local influence or recognition.
A notable historical figure with this name is Vukan Zaric, a prominent military leader born in 1501 and died in 1573. He played a critical role in the regional conflicts during the Ottoman expansion in the Balkans. Vukan Zaric is remembered for his brave defense of local territories and his endeavors to unite scattered resistances against the invading forces.
In the 17th century, another significant figure, Dragan Zaric, emerged as an influential landowner and merchant. Born in 1624 and passing away in 1689, Dragan Zaric expanded the family's wealth through trade routes that extended across the Adriatic and into Venice, establishing a solid economic foundation for future generations.
The name Zaric also appeared in ecclesiastical records from the 18th century, with Marko Zaric, who was born in 1746 and died in 1802. He served as a notable clergyman in the Serbian Orthodox Church, contributing to religious and cultural life by promoting church education and the building of several important local monasteries.
During the 19th century, Milan Zaric, born in 1832 and died in 1905, made a mark as a significant legal scholar and political figure. He was instrumental in drafting several key legal texts that modernized Serbian law during a period of significant social and political transformation.
In literary circles, the surname became notable through the works of Ada Zaric, born in 1878 and died in 1949, a poet and novelist whose writings explored themes of rural Serbian life, tradition, and the complexities of human emotion. Her works remain celebrated in Serbian literature and continue to influence contemporary writers.
The surname Zaric has thus woven a rich historical tapestry through its association with various notable individuals across different centuries, each contributing uniquely to the social, cultural, and political fabric of their time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zaric
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaric, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zaric 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 Zaric surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zaric
Zaric 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,498 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 Zaric 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 | #150,452 | #147,954 | 1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 112 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zaric bearers went from 109 to 112 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,954.
FAQ
Zaric surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zaric?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Zaric. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Zaric?
Zaric ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Zaric. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Zaric.
Has Zaric become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zaric went from 109 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Zaric?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaric, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zaric in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zaric appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zaric (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 Zaric mean?
Of Slavic origin, referring to someone with a bright or glorious appearance. 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 Zaric (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 Zaric?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Zaric at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.