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

Zachar, 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 Zachar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zachar in America

Zachar is the 47272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zachar surname appeared 449 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 Zachar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zachar 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.

The history of the last name Zachar

The surname Zachar has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically from regions within modern-day Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. It is derived from the Slavic given name Zachariasz, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Zechariah, meaning “God remembers.” Over time, the name evolved phonetically and morphologically into various forms including Zachar, Zachár, and Sachar in different locales. The linguistic roots can be traced to Old Slavic languages, where similar phonetic constructs were common.

One of the earliest historical references to a name resembling Zachar appears in medieval Latin records from the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 13th century. These documents, written in Latin, mention individuals with the name Zacarias, a close cousin to Zachar, establishing the deep historical usage of this name. Another reference from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 15th century mentions a nobleman named Wojciech Zachar, indicating the name was present among the gentry.

The first recorded example of the name Zachar in a broader historical context comes from the city of Kraków, Poland, in the mid-14th century. This reference is found in city registries that list Jan Zachar, a local merchant, as a prominent figure within the trade community. The name’s consistent appearance in trade documents suggests it was associated with reliable and influential individuals during that era.

In the Czech Republic, a notable figure bearing the surname was Jakub Zachar, a 16th-century scholar and theologian born in 1532 and died in 1598. His contributions to the Czech Reformation place the Zachar name in the annals of religious history.

Moving forward in time, in Hungary, the name appears prominently in the mid-19th century with István Zachár, a political activist born in 1835 who played a critical role during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. His involvement in the nationalist movements cemented his and his surname's place in Hungarian history.

In more modern history, Józef Zachar, born in 1902 and died in 1991, was a well-known Polish filmmaker who made significant contributions to the Polish cinema during his lifetime. His works left an indelible mark on the film industry in Poland, showcasing the cultural versatility of the name.

In Slovakia, the surname Zachar is linked to the 20th-century literary figure Ondrej Zachar, born in 1921 and died in 2005. As an author and poet, he contributed richly to Slovak literature, ensuring the name retained its scholarly and artistic associations.

The surname Zachar, while not as common today, holds a distinguished place in historical records across Eastern Europe, spanning diverse regions, professions, and eras. The consistent presence of the surname in various historical documents highlights its enduring legacy and rich etymological roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zachar

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

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 Zachar was:

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

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 Zachar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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