2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zaika
A surname denoting an excellent speaker or orator.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Zaika. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zaika 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Zaika in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaika, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zaika
The surname Zaika is of Slavic origin, predominantly found in Eastern Europe, with its roots in Ukraine and Russia. The name dates back to the medieval period, possibly originating as far back as the 14th or 15th centuries. Historically, it is derived from the Old Slavic word "заець" (zaiets), which means "hare" or "rabbit." This Zoomorphic surname possibly indicated a person who was swift and agile as a hare, or it might also relate to a huntsman or someone engaged in the hunting trade.
One of the earliest recorded appearances of the surname Zaika is found in the church records of Eastern Orthodox parishes in Ukraine during the 16th century. A notable mention is Ivan Zaika, a landowner recorded in Kyiv's regional census of 1566. These historical references highlight the name's presence in specific geographical areas such as Ukraine and southwestern Russia, marking it as prominent amongst the Slavic-speaking peoples of these regions.
In the late 17th century, Andriy Zaika, born around 1675, became well known as a Cossack leader in the Zaporizhian Host, a semi-autonomous polity of Cossacks in Ukraine. His leadership in the ongoing conflicts against Ottoman Empire incursions was documented in various historical chronicles of the time, solidifying the surname's association with bravery and military prowess.
Another prominent figure was Maria Zaika, a composer born in 1820 in the Kharkiv region. Her compositions garnered attention across the Russian Empire and influenced a generation of musicians in the 19th century. Her works, which often incorporated traditional Slavic melodies and folk themes, became popular in the cultural salons of St. Petersburg and Moscow.
In the early 20th century, Mykola Zaika emerged as a significant figure in Ukraine's literary circles. Born in 1885, he was a poet and playwright who contributed to the flourishing of Ukrainian literature during a period of cultural renaissance prior to the tumultuous events of the World Wars. His works are still studied in Ukrainian literature departments today.
The surname Zaika also appears in records outside of Ukraine. For instance, Aleksandr Zaika, born in 1900 in Russia, became a notable figure in Soviet politics, serving as a regional party leader during the mid-20th century. His tenure was marked by significant industrial developments in his region, contributing to the USSR's broader economic plans during the post-World War II period.
As the 20th century progressed, Viktor Zaika, born in 1932, became a distinguished physicist whose research contributed significantly to the field of quantum mechanics. His scholarly articles and published research papers are widely cited and form a critical part of the academic discourse in modern physics.
In tracing the history and origins of the surname Zaika, it becomes clear that the name has a rich and varied heritage. It has been borne by individuals of note in various fields including leadership, the arts, politics, and science, each contributing to the legacy and the continued prominence of the name across generations and geographies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zaika
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaika, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zaika 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 Zaika surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zaika
Zaika 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Zaika 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zaika bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Zaika surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zaika?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Zaika. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Zaika?
Zaika ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Zaika. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Zaika.
Has Zaika become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zaika went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Zaika?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zaika, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zaika in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zaika appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zaika (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 Zaika mean?
A surname denoting an excellent speaker or orator. 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 Zaika (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 Zaika?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.