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

Zajac, 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 Zajac surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zajac in America

Zajac is the 6444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zajac surname appeared 5,270 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Zajac.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zajac 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 Zajac

The surname Zajac originated in Poland, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "zajac," meaning "hare" or "rabbit," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have had an association with these animals, either as hunters, breeders, or as a descriptive nickname.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Zajac can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of court records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where a certain Stanislaw Zajac was mentioned in 1402. The name also appears in various medieval Polish manuscripts and chronicles, indicating its widespread use among the Polish nobility and commoners alike.

During the Middle Ages, the Zajac family established itself in various regions of Poland, with branches residing in cities such as Krakow, Warsaw, and Poznan. The name's spelling variations included Zayatz, Zayac, and Zajac, reflecting the different regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Zajac throughout history include Stanislaw Zajac (c. 1500-1570), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Livonian War; Jakub Zajac (1640-1705), a Polish Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled to South America; and Michal Zajac (1804-1885), a Polish painter renowned for his landscape and religious works.

In the 19th century, the Zajac surname gained further prominence with the birth of Ignacy Zajac (1832-1891), a Polish politician and journalist who played a significant role in the Polish independence movement. Another notable figure was Henryk Zajac (1870-1942), a Polish economist and professor who made important contributions to the field of agricultural economics.

As the Polish diaspora spread across the world, the Zajac surname traveled with them, with descendants now found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the name's roots can be traced back to its Polish origins, where it has been a part of the country's rich cultural and historical tapestry for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zajac

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

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

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

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