2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zaharko
A Slavic surname derived from the name Zahar, meaning "to bear fruit" or "fruitful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Zaharko. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zaharko 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Zaharko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaharko, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zaharko
Zaharko is a surname that originates from the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly from Ukraine. The name's history can be traced back to the time period of the late Middle Ages, around the 14th to 15th centuries. The areas where the name Zaharko is believed to have first appeared include the territories that form today's western Ukraine, which were part of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia during medieval times. The name likely has connections to the Old Slavonic word "zhar," which means "heat" or "passion," suggesting a fiery or ardent personality trait.
Zaharko might have derived from similar sounding surnames or root words within the linguistic traditions of Eastern European cultures. While concrete historical references from this period are relatively scarce, the name may appear in Church records, regional censuses, or property registries, particularly in areas with significant Ukrainian demography. Early spellings of the surname could vary, reflecting regional dialects and the transliteration of the Cyrillic script into Latin letters.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname in historical documents was found in the 17th century, in tax records from the Lviv region, a notable cultural and economic hub in western Ukraine. These records indicate the Zaharko family was involved in local trade and agriculture. By the 18th century, some members of the Zaharko family were documented as part of the nobility, holding minor titles and lands in the Carpathian foothills.
A significant bearer of the surname was Ivan Zaharko, born in 1783 and deceased in 1847, who was a prominent figure in the Ukrainian nationalist movements in the early 19th century. His efforts were instrumental in cultural preservation and the fight against oppressive regimes. Another notable person was Olena Zaharko, born in 1852 and died in 1910, remembered as a poet and folklorist who collected and published traditional Ukrainian folktales and songs.
In addition, Petro Zaharko, born in 1885 and died in 1951, was an influential artist whose works encapsulated the spirit and struggles of Ukrainian peasantry. Yet another notable individual was Maria Zaharko who was born in 1913 and became a renowned scientist specializing in botany, making significant contributions to the understanding of plant ecology in Eastern Europe until her death in 1982. Lastly, Volodymyr Zaharko, a political figure born in 1900 and assassinated in 1944 during the turmoil of World War II, played a crucial role in local governance and community organization in Ukraine.
The surname Zaharko encapsulates a rich cultural and historical tapestry, rooted in the Slavic traditions of Eastern Europe, influenced by centuries of regional conflicts, migrations, and cultural evolutions. Its bearers have contributed to various facets of society, from politics and arts to science and folklore, leaving an indelible mark on the regions from which they hail.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zaharko
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaharko, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zaharko 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 Zaharko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 95
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zaharko
Zaharko appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,693 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 1,693 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 Zaharko 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 | #152,628 | #150,935 | 1.1% |
| Count | 107 | 108 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zaharko bearers went from 107 to 108 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 1,693 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,935.
FAQ
Zaharko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zaharko?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Zaharko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Zaharko?
Zaharko ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Zaharko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Zaharko.
Has Zaharko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zaharko went from 107 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Zaharko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaharko, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Zaharko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zaharko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Zaharko (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 Zaharko mean?
A Slavic surname derived from the name Zahar, meaning "to bear fruit" or "fruitful". 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 Zaharko (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 Americans have the surname Zaharko?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.