Zagata last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zagata

A surname potentially derived from the Italian word "zagata" meaning a ditch or canal.

Zagata, 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 Zagata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zagata in America

Zagata is the 69392nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zagata surname appeared 283 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 Zagata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zagata 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 69392 49563 33.34%
Count 283 398 -33.77%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.15 -40.00%

The history of the last name Zagata

The surname Zagata has its origins in Poland, a country known for its rich linguistic and cultural heritage. The name likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The areas where the Zagata surname originally appeared were primarily in central and southern Poland, regions that had significant historical importance and were centers of economic and social life during these times.

Zagata is derived from the Polish word "zagata," which means "barn" or "outbuilding." In rural Poland, barns were essential structures for agricultural communities. The name likely referred to someone who either owned a large barn or worked in one, making it an occupational surname. The phrase "zagata" is rooted in Old Polish, coming from the word "zagać," which means "to enclose" or "to fence," emphasizing the importance of the barn as a protective structure for livestock and grain.

One of the earliest historical references to the name Zagata can be found in medieval land records and charters from the 14th century when the Polish Kingdom was expanding its territories and documenting land ownership. These manuscripts provide vital insights into the lives of the people bearing this surname, marking them as landowners or individuals of some standing in rural communities.

A significant early example of the surname Zagata appears in a land record from 1393, documenting a certain Jan Zagata, a landowner in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. This reflects the social and economic status of individuals with this surname during medieval times.

Another prominent figure bearing the surname was Piotr Zagata, a member of the Polish nobility who lived in the late 16th century. Born around 1540 and passing away in 1602, Piotr Zagata's name appears in various legal documents and social registries, indicating his involvement in local governance and social affairs.

During the early 17th century, the name continued to appear in official documents. One such individual was Katarzyna Zagata, recorded in 1625 as a witness in a legal case involving property disputes in Krakow. Her involvement in such matters highlights the varied roles individuals with this surname played in society.

In the 18th century, a noteworthy Zagata was Jakub Zagata, born in 1704 and known for his contributions to agricultural practices in the Masovian Voivodeship. Historical records from 1751 document his innovations in crop rotation and animal husbandry, which were influential in regional farming communities.

Moving into the 19th century, the surname continued to persist, with figures such as Andrzej Zagata, a teacher and local historian born in 1832. Andrzej's works from the 1870s on local Polish history contributed significantly to the understanding of the region's past, ensuring the surname's legacy in historical literature.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Zagata has been borne by individuals contributing to various facets of Polish society, from agrarian pursuits to nobility and historical scholarship. The surname remains a testament to the rich, multifaceted history of Poland and its people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zagata

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

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 Zagata was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.47% 273
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.77% 5
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.47% 96.73% -0.27%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 1.77% 1.76% 0.57%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Zagata last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zagata-surname-popularity/.

"Zagata last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zagata-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Zagata last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zagata-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.