2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zaebst
A German surname likely derived from a regional place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Zaebst. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zaebst 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Zaebst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaebst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zaebst
The surname Zaebst is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. The name is likely derived from old Germanic roots, possibly linked to the Middle High German word "zähe," meaning "tenacious" or "strong." This suggests that the original bearers of the surname might have been known for their resilience or fortitude. The earliest references to names similar to Zaebst can be traced back to rural regions in Bavaria and Saxony, where slight variations in spelling, such as Zaabst, Zäbst, or Zeebst, were observed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zaebst appears in a Bavarian tax register from the late 14th century, which lists a Johannes Zaebst as a landowner in the town of Regensburg. This indicates that the Zaebst family was established in this region and held some degree of social standing. Additional mentions of the name can be found in church records from the early 1500s, where a Georg Zaebst is noted as having donated land to the local monastery.
In the late 1600s, the name Zaebst began to appear in Prussian military records. One notable figure from this period is Heinrich Zaebst, born in 1654, who served as an officer in the army of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg. Heinrich distinguished himself in several battles during the Franco-Dutch War and was later awarded a small estate near Königsberg.
By the 18th century, the Zaebst family name had spread to other parts of Germany and even to neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. A prominent individual from this period is Matthias Zaebst, born in 1717, who became known for his scholarly works on Enlightenment philosophy and was a professor at the University of Vienna.
The 19th century saw further dispersal of the Zaebst surname, with many family members emigrating to the United States and other countries in search of better opportunities. One such emigrant was Friedrich Zaebst, born in 1836, who played a significant role in developing the Midwest's agricultural industry. His descendants continued to make notable contributions to their communities, one of whom, Clara Zaebst, born in 1882, became a well-regarded early 20th-century educator and advocate for women's rights.
Overall, the surname Zaebst has a rich and diverse history, with its bearers often being recognized for their resilience, contributions to society, and pursuits in various fields such as the military, academia, and social advocacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zaebst
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaebst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zaebst 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 Zaebst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zaebst
Zaebst 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,341 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 2,341 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,152 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 Zaebst 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 | #140,157 | #141,309 | -0.8% |
| Count | 119 | 121 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zaebst bearers went from 119 to 121 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #141,309.
FAQ
Zaebst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zaebst?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Zaebst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Zaebst?
Zaebst ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Zaebst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Zaebst.
Has Zaebst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zaebst went from 119 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Zaebst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaebst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Zaebst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zaebst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Black (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Zaebst (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 Zaebst mean?
A German surname likely derived from a regional place name. 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 Zaebst (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 people are called Zaebst?
You can see how many people have the last name Zaebst on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.