2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zagorsky
A surname of Eastern Slavic origin meaning "beyond the mountains".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Zagorsky. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zagorsky 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Zagorsky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zagorsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zagorsky
Zagorsky is a surname with its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions that are now Poland and Western Russia. The name derives from the Polish and Russian word "zagórze," which means "beyond the mountain" or "behind the hill." This geographical descriptor suggests that the original bearers of the surname likely lived in or near a mountainous area.
The surname began appearing in historical records in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th and 15th centuries. In Poland, the name was often associated with people who hailed from small villages or rural communities "za górą" (beyond the hill). Early mentions in Polish manuscripts indicate connections to minor nobility or landowners in regions such as Lesser Poland and Silesia.
In Russia, the name appeared in different forms, including Zagorski and Zagorskii, reflecting the adaptations of the Russian language and script. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in Russia dates back to the 16th century in the Novgorod region, a historically significant area known for its political and economic contributions to medieval Russia.
One prominent historical figure with the surname is Aleksandr Ivanovich Zagorsky, a Russian nobleman and statesman born in 1725 and who played a significant role in the administrative reforms of Empress Catherine the Great. He was instrumental in the modernizing efforts of the Russian Empire during his time.
In Poland, Jan Zagorsky, a noted scholar and academic from Krakow, was born in 1585. He was renowned for his contributions to the fields of philosophy and theology and was a professor at Jagiellonian University. His works were influential in the intellectual circles of his time, and his legacy continued to impact Polish academia.
The surname also appears in the records of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where another notable figure, Michal Zagorsky, served as a military officer in the early 17th century. Born in 1609, he distinguished himself during the Polish-Swedish wars and was rewarded with lands and titles for his service.
In the realm of the arts, Maria Zagorska, born in 1847, was a celebrated poet and writer in Poland. Her literary works reflected the nationalistic and romantic sentiments of the 19th century, and she remains an important figure in Polish literary history.
Famed Russian composer Nikolai Zagorsky, born in 1897, made notable contributions to classical music in the early 20th century. His compositions, characterized by their incorporation of Russian folk melodies, gained considerable acclaim and were performed in major concert halls across Europe.
Examining the historical occurrences and prominent individuals bearing the surname Zagorsky provides valuable insight into its cultural and regional significance across Eastern Europe. The name's enduring presence in historical records underscores its importance and continuing relevance in the study of onomatology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zagorsky
Among Census respondents with the surname Zagorsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zagorsky 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 Zagorsky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 106
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zagorsky
Zagorsky 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,032 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,064 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 20,032 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,064 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 Zagorsky 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 | #144,141 | #150,205 | -4.2% |
| Count | 115 | 109 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zagorsky bearers went from 115 to 109 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,064 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #150,205.
FAQ
Zagorsky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zagorsky?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Zagorsky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Zagorsky?
Zagorsky ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Zagorsky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Zagorsky.
Has Zagorsky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zagorsky went from 115 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Zagorsky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zagorsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Zagorsky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zagorsky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Black (0.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Zagorsky (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 Zagorsky mean?
A surname of Eastern Slavic origin meaning "beyond the mountains". 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 Zagorsky (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 share the surname Zagorsky?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.