2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zachariasen
A surname of Danish origin meaning "son of Zacharias".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Zachariasen. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zachariasen 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Zachariasen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zachariasen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zachariasen
The surname Zachariasen originates from Scandinavia, specifically Denmark and Norway. It emerged during the early modern period, likely around the 17th or 18th centuries. This surname is patronymic, meaning it was derived from the father's first name. In this case, it comes from the given name Zacharias, which is a form of the Hebrew name Zechariah, meaning "Yahweh has remembered."
The form Zachariasen translates directly to "son of Zacharias." Such patronymic names were common in Scandinavian countries where surnames were often formed by adding a suffix, such as -sen or -son, to the father's first name. The -sen suffix, in particular, was widely used in Denmark and Norway, and similarly, -son was used in Sweden.
One of the earliest records of the name Zachariasen can be found in Danish parish registers from the late 1600s. These registers listed birth, christening, marriage, and death records, revealing the use of Zachariasen as a surname in various towns and villages across Denmark. Notably, Christen Zachariasen, born in 1693 in the small town of Odense, is one of the early documented bearers of this surname.
The name also features in historical manuscripts related to Norwegian history. In the mid-18th century, Hans Zachariasen, born in 1720, was a prominent tradesman in Bergen, Norway. His records show the early regional spread of the surname and hint at its usage among the mercantile class.
Around the same period, Niels Zachariasen, born in 1745, was noted as an influential figure within the Danish clergy. His contributions to theological discourses in Denmark are documented in religious correspondences and church records of the 18th century. Niels' work influenced religious thought during that time, demonstrating the surname's connection to notable intellectual activities.
In artistic circles, the painter Peter Zachariasen, born in 1790, gained recognition for his landscapes that captured the serene beauty of the Danish countryside. His works are preserved in several museums in Denmark today, making him one of the notable bearers of this surname in the field of art.
By the 19th century, the name had also spread to academic realms. Gudrun Zachariasen, born in 1856, was a pioneering figure in the field of education for women in Norway. Her advocacy for women's rights and educational reforms left a lasting impact on Norwegian society, with numerous articles and records from that era citing her contributions.
The surname Zachariasen thus carries a rich history intertwined with Scandinavian cultural and social evolution. Its origins rooted in the patronymic tradition reflect the societal norms of the time, and its bearers across centuries have left imprints in various fields, from religion and trade to art and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zachariasen
Among Census respondents with the surname Zachariasen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zachariasen 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 Zachariasen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zachariasen
Zachariasen 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
#119,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
+23 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,289 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-27 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #119,508 | 145 | 0.05 | +23 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 9,289 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 24,003 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 Zachariasen 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 | #119,508 | #143,511 | -20.1% |
| Count | 145 | 118 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zachariasen bearers went from 145 to 118 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 24,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #119,508 to #143,511.
FAQ
Zachariasen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zachariasen?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Zachariasen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Zachariasen?
Zachariasen ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Zachariasen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Zachariasen.
Has Zachariasen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zachariasen went from 145 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 27 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #119,508 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Zachariasen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zachariasen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Zachariasen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zachariasen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Zachariasen (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 Zachariasen mean?
A surname of Danish origin meaning "son of Zacharias". 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 Zachariasen (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 common is the surname Zachariasen?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Zachariasen, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.