Zaben last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zaben

A derivation from the German word "Zaben" meaning a juncture or knob.

Zaben, 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 Zaben surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zaben in America

Zaben is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zaben surname appeared 211 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 Zaben.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zaben 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 88020 126400 -35.80%
Count 211 125 51.19%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.05 33.33%

The history of the last name Zaben

The surname Zaben is believed to have originated from the Arabian Peninsula, specifically from the regions that are part of modern-day Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The earliest references to the name date back to the early medieval period, around the 10th century, though the exact time of its inception remains a matter of historical scrutiny. The name is possibly derived from the Arabic word "zabin," which means "one who is wise" or "one who judges."

This surname may have also been linked to the tribe of Zubyan, a known historical tribe in ancient Arabia. Historical manuscripts and tribal records dating to around the 12th century mention individuals bearing this name, associating it with tribal chiefs and learned individuals. The Zaben family name appears in documents dating back to the early days of the Abbasid Caliphate, indicating a well-established lineage.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name in historical texts is from the 11th century, where a prominent figure named Ahmad ibn Zaben was mentioned in relation to a notable arbitration between warring tribes. Another individual, Khalid Al-Zaben, who lived in the 13th century, was known for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and left behind several scholarly works.

Moving forward into the 14th century, Mansour ibn Zaben was a recognized military leader who played a pivotal role in the regional conflicts of the Arabian Peninsula. His strategic acumen was noted in various historical accounts that have survived into modern historiography.

The Zaben surname continued to appear in historical records, with one notable figure being Aisha bint Zaben, a poetess from the 16th century whose works were especially influential in the cultural transformation of her time. Her poetry delved into themes of wisdom and social justice, reflecting the deeper meanings ascribed to her surname.

Another prominent individual was Abdulrahman ibn Zaben, a 17th-century scholar and traveler whose detailed accounts of his journeys provided invaluable insights into the socio-political landscapes of the Near East and North Africa. His writings highlighted the intellectual heritage of the Zaben family and its contributions to the broader Islamic world.

Overall, the Zaben surname has a rich historical tapestry, interwoven with significant cultural, scholarly, and political contributions spanning several centuries. It remains a testament to the enduring legacy of a name that has navigated through the annals of Arabian and Islamic history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zaben

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

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 Zaben was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 90.52% 191
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 4.74% 10
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.37% 5
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Zaben has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 90.52% 88.00% 2.82%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 4.74% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 2.37% 8.80% -115.13%
Hispanic (S)% (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 Zaben was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Zaben last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zaben-surname-popularity/.

"Zaben last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zaben-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

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

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