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

Zaharis, 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 Zaharis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zaharis in America

Zaharis is the 83834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zaharis surname appeared 224 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 Zaharis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zaharis 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 Zaharis

The surname Zaharis is of Greek origin, believed to have emerged in the regions of Greece during Byzantine times, likely around the 10th to 13th centuries. It is derived from the Greek word "ζάχαρη" which translates to sugar, suggesting that the name could have originally been an occupational surname for someone involved in the sugar trade or production.

Records from the later Byzantine period show similar spellings, such as Zacharias, due to the fluid nature of transliteration from Greek to Latin-script languages. The name might have been local to areas with significant trade activities, including regions around Thessaloniki or Constantinople, given their bustling economic scenes in those times.

One of the earliest known recordings of a similar name is linked to a certain Ioannis Zaharos, a merchant documented in trade records in the early 14th century in Thessaloniki. By the 16th century, variations of the name appear in Venetian-controlled Cephalonia, with a notable figure being Dimitrios Zaharos, a landowner born in 1536 and occupying various civic positions until his death in 1604.

The name continued to appear throughout Greek regions in subsequent centuries, often connected with the merchant and artisan classes. For example, Pavlos Zaharis, born in 1724, was a renowned painter in the Ionian islands, whose works and influence persisted till his death in 1791.

In the 19th century, Alexandros Zaharos, born in 1815 in Athens, became prominent due to his involvement in publishing and literature, contributing significantly to Greek education and cultural conservation efforts until his death in 1883.

Another significant bearer was Constantinos Zaharis, an Athenian physician born in 1856. His advancements in medical practices and public health during the late 19th and early 20th centuries left an enduring impact, and he remained influential until his death in 1925.

Further into the 20th century, Georgios Zaharis, a prominent figure in the Greek diplomatic corps born in 1892, played crucial roles in various international negotiations and treaties, forging a notable career that lasted until his death in 1965.

The surname Zaharis, with its variations and historical significance rooted in Greek culture and economy, serves as a testament to the diverse roles the bearers have played in society over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zaharis

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

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

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

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