2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zabojnik
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "murderer" or "assassin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Zabojnik. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zabojnik 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Zabojnik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zabojnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zabojnik
The surname Zabojnik has its origins in the regions of Central Europe, particularly within the Slovak and Czech territories. Emerging from what is now modern-day Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the name has deep roots in the Slavic language family. The time period for the earliest instances of the surname dates back to the medieval era, roughly around the 14th to 15th centuries.
Derived from the old Slavic word "zaboj," meaning "kill" or "strike," the surname likely originated as an occupational surname or a nickname. It might have been used to describe someone with a fierce reputation, possibly a warrior or someone involved in law enforcement. This connection between names and occupations was a common practice in medieval Europe, reflecting the importance of one's role in society.
Historical references to the name Zabojnik can be found in a variety of old records and manuscripts, although not as extensive as some more commonly studied surnames. One early reference appears in a 16th-century tax register from the Kingdom of Hungary, which at the time included parts of present-day Slovakia. This document enumerates several families in the area with variations of the Zabojnik surname.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Michal Zabojnik, a landowner documented in a land registry from 1592 in present-day Slovakia. His holdings and status as a landowner suggest a person of some importance during that time. Another notable individual is Jan Zabojnik, born in 1643 and recorded as a member of the municipal council in a village near present-day Bratislava in the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name also appears in military records. Stefan Zabojnik served as an officer in the Habsburg army during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). His service is documented in military rosters and letters describing various skirmishes and battles of that period, indicating a continuity of the name’s association with martial prowess.
Honoring the cultural contributions of the name, Jozef Zabojnik, born in 1821 and died in 1887, was a noted Slovak poet and nationalist. His works often reflect the social and political struggles of his time, and he was actively involved in the Slovak national movement advocating for cultural and political rights under the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Late 19th-century records also mention Maria Zabojnikova, known for her work in folk medicine in rural Slovakia, born in 1853. Her reputation as a healer made her a well-respected figure in her community, where oral histories preserve tales of her remedies and medical practices.
Through these records and historical references, it is clear that the Zabojnik surname has a rich history tied to the socio-political and cultural developments in Central Europe. Its bearers have played varied roles from landowners and military officers to cultural and community figures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zabojnik
Among Census respondents with the surname Zabojnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zabojnik 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 Zabojnik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 4
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zabojnik
Zabojnik 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,639 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,639 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Zabojnik 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zabojnik bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Zabojnik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zabojnik?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Zabojnik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Zabojnik?
Zabojnik ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Zabojnik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Zabojnik.
Has Zabojnik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zabojnik went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Zabojnik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zabojnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zabojnik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zabojnik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (3.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%). 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 Zabojnik (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 Zabojnik mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "murderer" or "assassin". 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 Zabojnik (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 Americans have the surname Zabojnik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.