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

Zaha, 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 Zaha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zaha in America

Zaha is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zaha surname appeared 130 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 Zaha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zaha 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.

The history of the last name Zaha

The surname Zaha is thought to have its origins in Central and Eastern Europe, with possible roots in Czech and Slovak regions. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 13th to 14th centuries. The name is believed to have derived from the old Czech word "zahá," which means "behind the grove" or "beyond the thicket." This indicates that the original bearers of the name may have lived near or beyond a wooded area.

The earliest recorded examples of the name Zaha appear in church and land records from the 14th and 15th centuries. An old manuscript from Bohemia, dated around 1365, mentions a Petrus Zahá, who was a landowner in a small village near Prague. Such records are some of the first instances of the surname being chronicled.

The name also has various older spellings, including Zahá, Zahay, and Zahai. As the Slavic languages evolved, these spellings further simplified to what is commonly seen today as Zaha. The variations in spelling are evident in numerous historical documents, reflecting the phonetic interpretations of the name over the centuries.

Among notable historical figures, Jan Zaha, born in 1450 and passing in 1520, was a well-known Czech merchant who contributed to the local economy of Prague through his extensive trade networks. Another prominent individual with this surname was Jakub Zahá, a 16th-century Bohemian scribe, whose work remains an important source for understanding the legal and societal norms of the time.

In the early 18th century, Martin Zaha, born in 1702 and deceased in 1775, was an acclaimed violinist whose musical compositions garnered attention in Vienna. His contributions helped to proliferate the European Baroque music scene, bridging cultural and artistic exchanges within the Austrian Empire.

Moving into the 19th century, Eva Zaha, born in 1804 and passing in 1872, was a noted Czech author and women's rights activist. Her writings and advocacy were influential in the early feminist movements within Central Europe, and she remains a symbol of progress in women’s history.

Another individual of historical importance is Leopold Zaha, born in 1848 and deceased in 1915, a respected botanist whose research on Central European flora remains a reference for botanists and ecologists today. His extensive botanical surveys contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of plant life in the region.

The surname Zaha, with its deep roots in Central Europe, reflects a rich history associated with nature, commerce, arts, and science. It continues to be a testament to the diverse contributions of its bearers through the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zaha

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

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 Zaha was:

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

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

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

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