2000
#8,720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,469
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Zacharias
Derived from the Greek name Zacharias, meaning "remembered by God," and adopted as a surname by descendants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,976 Americans carry the last name Zacharias. That puts it at #9,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,206 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zacharias 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Zacharias with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,206
Census rank
#9,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,467 bearers of the surname Zacharias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zacharias, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zacharias
The surname Zacharias has its origins in the ancient Greek language, derived from the Hebrew name "Zechariah" which means "the Lord remembers." This name was popular among the Jewish people and later adopted by early Christians.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Zacharias can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Europe, particularly in Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Eastern Europe. It was initially used as a patronymic surname, indicating the name of the father or an ancestor.
In medieval times, the surname Zacharias was found in various historical records and documents, such as parish registers, tax rolls, and legal proceedings. One notable mention is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Zacharias is listed among the tenants of King William the Conqueror in Gloucestershire, England.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Zacharias gained prominence in various academic and artistic circles. One notable figure was Gregorius Zacharias (1460-1536), a German humanist scholar and professor at the University of Leipzig, known for his contributions to the study of classical literature.
In the 17th century, Zacharias Janssen (1585-1638), a Dutch spectacle-maker, is credited with the invention of the first compound microscope, which revolutionized the field of scientific observation and research.
Another prominent individual was Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583), a German theologian and one of the primary authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, a influential document in the Reformed Protestant tradition.
During the 18th century, Zacharias Winther (1718-1784) was a Danish poet and playwright who made significant contributions to the literary scene of his time, known for his satirical works and comedies.
In the 19th century, Zacharias Topelius (1818-1898), a Finnish author and journalist, gained recognition for his historical novels and children's literature, which played a crucial role in shaping Finnish national identity.
As the surname Zacharias spread across different regions and cultures, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Zacharias, Zachariah, Zacharyas, and Sacharias, reflecting local linguistic adaptations and preferences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zacharias
Among Census respondents with the surname Zacharias, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zacharias 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 Zacharias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 2,875
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 230
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.5% · 225
- Two or more races2.7% · 94
- Black or African American0.8% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zacharias
Zacharias 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
#8,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,805
+336 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 79 places
2020
#9,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,467
-338 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,720 | 3,469 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,641 | 3,805 | 1.29 | +336 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 79 places |
| 2020 | #9,045 | 3,467 | 1.16 | -338 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 404 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 Zacharias 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 | #8,641 | #9,045 | -4.7% |
| Count | 3,805 | 3,467 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.16 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zacharias bearers went from 3,805 to 3,467 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 404 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,641 to #9,045.
FAQ
Zacharias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zacharias?
Name Census estimates that about 3,976 living Americans carry the surname Zacharias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,206 residents.
How common is Zacharias?
Zacharias ranks #9,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,467 people with the surname Zacharias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,976), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zacharias.
Has Zacharias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zacharias went from 3,805 recorded bearers to 3,467. That is a decrease of 338 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,641 to #9,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Zacharias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zacharias, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%). 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 Zacharias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (2,875 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zacharias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Hispanic (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%). 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 Zacharias (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 Zacharias mean?
Derived from the Greek name Zacharias, meaning "remembered by God," and adopted as a surname by descendants. 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 Zacharias (1.16 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 Zacharias?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.