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

Zahorchak, 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 Zahorchak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zahorchak in America

Zahorchak is the 78040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zahorchak surname appeared 245 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 Zahorchak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zahorchak 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 Zahorchak

The surname Zahorchak has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions that now encompass modern-day Slovakia and Ukraine. The time period of its initial emergence likely falls within the medieval era, roughly between the 12th and 15th centuries. This region was a melting pot of cultures and languages, which influenced the formation of surnames.

The name Zahorchak is derived from the Slavic roots "zahor" and "chak." The prefix "zahor" is related to geographic features, likely meaning "beyond the forest" or "over the hill," from the Old Slavic word "zagora." The suffix "chak" is a diminutive or patronymic ending often indicating "son of" or "descendant of," which was a common formation in Slavic languages.

One of the earliest records of the surname appearing in written documents dates back to the 16th century, where a family with this name was documented in parish registers and property records. These early records show the name in slightly varied spellings, such as Zagorchak or Zahorkak, depending on the phonetic interpretations by scribes.

Historically, the name Zahorchak can be traced to small villages and rural areas where family names were often tied to the land and local geography. The name would have been used to distinguish between different families in the same village. One of the oldest known references includes a land transaction documented in 1574 in what is now eastern Slovakia, involving a person named Ivan Zahorchak.

A notable historical figure bearing this surname was Peter Zahorchak, a member of the local nobility in the late 17th century. Born around 1650, Peter was known for his involvement in regional politics and land management. He played a significant role in negotiating the terms of peasant labor and was influential in his village's economic development.

Later, in the 19th century, Mikolaj Zahorchak born in 1823, emerged as an important cultural figure. He was a poet and writer who contributed to the Slovak National Awakening, a movement that sought to preserve Slovak culture and language during Hungarian rule. Zahorchak's work was influential in the revival of Slovak national identity.

In the early 20th century, Anna Zahorchak, born in 1901, became one of the first women from her village to pursue higher education. She studied medicine and became a respected doctor in her community, breaking numerous social barriers for women of her time.

Another significant individual was Stefan Zahorchak, born in 1935, who became a renowned expert in agricultural sciences. He contributed to the development of farming techniques that improved yields and sustainability in Slovakia and surrounding regions. His works were published internationally, making significant impacts in his field.

These historical figures demonstrate the name's deep-rooted connection to Slovak and Ukrainian heritage and its association with notable achievements in various fields such as politics, literature, medicine, and science. Zahorchak remains a testament to the family's enduring legacy across centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zahorchak

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

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

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

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