2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Belic
An Americanized spelling of the Serbian surname meaning "white" or "fair."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Belic. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Belic 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Belic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Belic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Belic
The surname Belic has its origins in the Slavic languages, specifically in the Croatian and Serbian regions of the Balkans. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Slavic word "bel," which means "white" or "fair," suggesting that it may have been a descriptive name initially applied to individuals with light hair or fair complexions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Belic surname can be found in a 15th-century manuscript from the Dubrovnik region of modern-day Croatia. This document, dated around 1460, mentions a merchant named Marko Belic who was involved in trade between the Republic of Ragusa (present-day Dubrovnik) and the Ottoman Empire.
In the 16th century, the Belic surname appeared in various records from the Balkans, including church registers and tax documents. Notable individuals from this period include Ivan Belic (1524-1598), a Catholic priest and scholar from the town of Trogir, who wrote extensively on religious topics and the history of Dalmatia.
As the Ottoman Empire expanded its influence in the Balkans during the 16th and 17th centuries, many Serbs and Croats fled to neighboring regions, particularly to the territory of modern-day Hungary and parts of Austria. This diaspora likely contributed to the spread of the Belic surname beyond its original Balkan homeland.
One notable figure from this period was Matija Belic (1639-1712), a Serbian Orthodox priest and writer who lived in the town of Szentendre, near Budapest. Belic was a prolific author and contributed to the preservation of Serbian literary traditions during a time of significant upheaval and migration.
In the 18th century, the Belic surname can be found in various records from the Austrian Empire, including military rosters and land ownership documents. One prominent individual was Josip Belic (1718-1794), a Croatian military officer who served in the Habsburg army and participated in several campaigns against the Ottoman Turks.
As the 19th century dawned, the Belic surname continued to be present in various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in Croatia, Serbia, and Hungary. Notable figures from this era include Miloš Belic (1845-1912), a Serbian painter and art teacher who was influential in the development of Serbian realist painting.
Throughout its history, the Belic surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, including merchants, clergy, soldiers, artists, and scholars. While its exact origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Slavic peoples in the Balkans and their enduring presence across Central and Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Belic
Among Census respondents with the surname Belic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Belic 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 Belic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 98
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Belic
Belic 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-7 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,986 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 16,986 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 179 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 Belic 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 | #153,769 | #153,590 | 0.1% |
| Count | 106 | 104 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Belic bearers went from 106 to 104 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,590.
FAQ
Belic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Belic?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Belic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Belic?
Belic ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Belic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Belic.
Has Belic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Belic went from 106 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Belic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Belic, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (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 Belic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Belic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Black (1.9%), Hispanic (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 Belic (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 Belic mean?
An Americanized spelling of the Serbian surname meaning "white" or "fair." 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 Belic (0.03 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 Belic?
Want to know how many people have the surname Belic? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.