2000
#54,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 353
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Oreskovich
A surname derived from a Croatian place name or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 429 Americans carry the last name Oreskovich. That puts it at #58,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 798,961 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oreskovich 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
429
1 in 798,961
Census rank
#58,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
374
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 374 bearers of the surname Oreskovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oreskovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oreskovich
The surname Oreskovich has its origins in Croatia, a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is believed to have emerged in the early 16th century, deriving from the Croatian word "oreska," which translates to "walnut tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived near or were associated with walnut groves or orchards.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oreskovich can be found in a 1524 census document from the town of Dubrovnik, which at the time was an independent city-state. The document lists a certain Ivan Oreskovich as a resident of the town's northern quarter.
In the 17th century, the Oreskovich family appears to have gained prominence in the region, with several members holding influential positions within the Dubrovnik Republic. Notable individuals from this period include Marko Oreskovich (1602-1678), a respected merchant and trader, and Petar Oreskovich (1634-1701), a renowned jurist and diplomat who served as the Republic's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
As the Oreskovich family expanded and dispersed throughout the Balkans, variations in the spelling of the name began to emerge, such as Orešković, Oreškovič, and Oreškovič. These variations likely arose due to linguistic differences and regional dialects within the Croatian-speaking territories.
One of the most notable figures bearing the Oreskovich name was Andrija Oreskovich (1765-1842), a Croatian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Oreskovich rose through the ranks of the French Imperial Army, ultimately attaining the rank of General and earning numerous honors for his service.
Another prominent individual was Nikola Oreskovich (1827-1896), a Croatian poet and playwright who played a significant role in the Croatian National Revival movement of the 19th century. His works, which celebrated Croatian culture and language, were instrumental in promoting national identity and unity.
In the 20th century, the Oreskovich name continued to be represented in various fields. One notable figure was Marija Oreskovich (1901-1987), a Croatian-born American artist who gained recognition for her modernist paintings and sculptures. Her works were exhibited in prestigious galleries across the United States and Europe.
While the surname Oreskovich may have originated in Croatia, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the historic regions of the Balkans, where it has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oreskovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Oreskovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Oreskovich 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 Oreskovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 345
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
- Two or more races0.5% · 2
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oreskovich
Oreskovich 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
#55,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+20 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 478 places
2020
#58,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 374
+1 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 3,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,643 | 353 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,121 | 373 | 0.13 | +20 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 478 places |
| 2020 | #58,578 | 374 | 0.13 | +1 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 3,457 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 Oreskovich 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 | #55,121 | #58,578 | -6.3% |
| Count | 373 | 374 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oreskovich bearers went from 373 to 374 (+0.3% change). The surname moved down 3,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,121 to #58,578.
FAQ
Oreskovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oreskovich?
Name Census estimates that about 429 living Americans carry the surname Oreskovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 798,961 residents.
How common is Oreskovich?
Oreskovich ranks #58,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 374 people with the surname Oreskovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (429), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Oreskovich.
Has Oreskovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oreskovich went from 373 recorded bearers to 374. That is an increase of 1 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,121 to #58,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Oreskovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oreskovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Oreskovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (345 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oreskovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Oreskovich (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 Oreskovich mean?
A surname derived from a Croatian place name or topographic feature. 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 Oreskovich (0.13 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 have the last name Oreskovich?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Oreskovich? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.