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

Zachariah, 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 Zachariah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zachariah in America

Zachariah is the 28465th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zachariah surname appeared 838 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 Zachariah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zachariah 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 Zachariah

The surname Zachariah has its origins in the Hebraic tradition, dating back to ancient Israel. It is derived from the Hebrew name Zechariah, which means "God has remembered." This name itself has its roots in the Hebrew words "zakar" (to remember) and "yah" (God), indicating a theophoric reference to the deity of the culture. Historically, the name was used predominantly by the Hebrew people and is mentioned frequently in religious texts.

Zachariah spread to various regions with the diasporic movements of Jewish communities. During the early centuries, variations of the surname began to appear in different parts of the Middle East and later in European records. The Jewish communities in medieval Europe often preserved the name in its original or slightly altered forms. For example, the name appears in medieval documents in Germany as Zacharias or Zacharie, reflecting local linguistic influences.

The surname is documented in various historical records. One of the earliest recorded usages of a similar surname is in the medieval Geniza documents of Cairo, dating back to the 10th century. Here, the surname was used among Jewish merchants and scholars. Another recorded instance is in the rolls of Jewish communities in medieval Spain during the Reconquista, where the name was preserved through generations despite the tumultuous history of the period.

Famous historical figures bearing the surname include Yitzhak Zachariah, a prominent Jewish scholar in 12th-century Spain, who contributed to Jewish thought and interreligious dialogue. Another notable person is Rabbi Moses ben Zachariah, a well-respected religious leader and commentator during the 14th century in France. In early modern history, Abraham Zachariah, born in 1578 and died in 1650, was a prominent financier in Venice who played a crucial role in the economic activities of the Jewish Ghetto.

By the 18th century, the surname had reached the British Isles, with one of the early bearers being Solomon Zachariah, a merchant recorded in London in 1725. The name further spread to the Americas with the emigration of Jewish families, including the family of Benjamin Zachariah, an early settler in New York in the late 18th century. Ezekiel Zachariah, another prominent figure, was known for his contributions to the medical field in 19th-century Vienna, advancing studies in the treatment of infectious diseases.

Throughout its history, the surname Zachariah has maintained its religious and cultural significance, while adapting to the linguistic and regional variations of the diverse areas it touched. Its bearers have played notable roles in various fields, contributing significantly to the communities and cultures they were part of.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zachariah

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

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

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

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