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

Zahler, 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 Zahler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zahler in America

Zahler is the 24049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zahler surname appeared 1,048 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 Zahler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zahler 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 Zahler

The surname Zahler has its origins in German-speaking regions, particularly in the areas that now make up modern Germany and Switzerland. The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. Its roots can be found in the German word "Zahl" which means "number" or "to count." As such, the name Zahler likely originated as an occupational surname referring to someone who was a tax collector, treasurer, or someone involved in accounting or numerical work.

Historical references to the name Zahler can be identified in medieval records from these regions. Although there is no specific mention of the name in documents as prominent as the Domesday Book—a record focused on England—references to similar surnames can be found in German tax records, guild registries, and parish records from the 13th and 14th centuries. Early spellings of the name include Zahlere and Cahlere, reflecting the variations in dialects and regional linguistics over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zahler appears in a 14th-century tax record in Basel, Switzerland, where a Heinrich Zahler is listed as a town official around the year 1364. This suggests that the family held positions of some significance within their communities even at an early stage. Moving into the modern era, another notable individual was Johannes Zahler, a watchmaker from Nuremberg, who was born in 1678 and contributed significantly to the local trade in precision instruments until his death in 1745.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Zahler continued to appear in various parts of Europe. A notable figure is Karl Zahler, a German philosopher and academic, born in 1821, who wrote extensively on ethics and political theory until his death in 1875. The name also crossed the Atlantic, with Philip Zahler, an immigrant from Bavaria, arriving in Pennsylvania in 1834 and establishing a successful brewery, leaving a mark on the burgeoning American brewing industry.

Another significant historical figure is Marie Zahler, born in Zurich in 1882, who became one of the first women to graduate from the University of Zurich with a degree in medicine. She later went on to contribute substantial research in the field of bacteriology, passing away in 1965. Lastly, Herman Zahler, a noted Jewish writer and scholar, was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1889 and became known for his works on Jewish culture and history until his death in 1956.

Through these historical fragments, the surname Zahler illustrates a diverse and rich lineage, highlighting contributions across various professions and geographies over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zahler

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

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

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

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