2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tzeo
A Greek surname possibly derived from the word "tzouras" meaning shepherd or cowherd.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Tzeo. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tzeo 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Tzeo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tzeo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tzeo
The surname Tzeo is believed to have its origins in Greece, dating back to the Byzantine era. It is thought to be derived from the Greek word "tzeros," which means "barren" or "infertile," possibly referring to an ancestor who lived in an area with poor soil or harsh living conditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tzeo can be found in a manuscript from the 11th century, which mentions a landowner named Stephanos Tzeo in the region of Thessaly. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with landowners or peasants in rural areas.
During the Middle Ages, the name Tzeo appeared in various records and documents across the Greek territories, often spelled in slightly different ways, such as "Tzeou" or "Tzeiou." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Georgios Tzeo (1420-1487) was a scholar and philosopher who contributed to the revival of classical Greek literature during the Renaissance period. His works on Aristotelian philosophy were highly influential among intellectual circles in Europe.
Another prominent individual with the surname Tzeo was Nikolaos Tzeo (1560-1632), a Greek military commander who served in the Venetian army during the Cretan War against the Ottoman Empire. He was known for his strategic leadership and bravery in defending the island of Crete from Ottoman invasion.
In the 18th century, the name Tzeo appeared in records from the island of Lesbos, where a family of merchants and traders bearing the surname established a successful business exporting local products, such as olive oil and wine, to other parts of the Mediterranean.
One of the earliest known instances of the name Tzeo in the Americas can be traced back to Ioannis Tzeo (1780-1856), a Greek immigrant who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century. He worked as a merchant and was instrumental in establishing a Greek community in the city.
Throughout its history, the surname Tzeo has been associated with various professions, including scholars, military leaders, merchants, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tzeo
Among Census respondents with the surname Tzeo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tzeo 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 Tzeo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.0% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- White0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tzeo
Tzeo 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 7,262 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 Tzeo 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 | #151,532 | #144,270 | 4.8% |
| Count | 108 | 117 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tzeo bearers went from 108 to 117 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 7,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #144,270.
FAQ
Tzeo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tzeo?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Tzeo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Tzeo?
Tzeo ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Tzeo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Tzeo.
Has Tzeo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tzeo went from 108 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Tzeo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tzeo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tzeo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tzeo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Tzeo (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 Tzeo mean?
A Greek surname possibly derived from the word "tzouras" meaning shepherd or cowherd. 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 Tzeo (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 Tzeo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.