Zajic last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zajic

A surname of Czech origin meaning "rabbit" or "hare".

Zajic, 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 Zajic surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zajic in America

Zajic is the 57639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zajic surname appeared 353 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 Zajic.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zajic 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 57639 54020 6.48%
Count 353 358 -1.41%
Proportion per 100k 0.12 0.13 -8.00%

The history of the last name Zajic

The surname Zajic originates from the Czech Republic, a country with a rich Slavic history. The name dates back to the medieval period and is derived from the Old Czech word "zajíc," which means "hare." The hare, a common woodland creature, was often associated with agility, swiftness, and a degree of cunning, qualities possibly attributed to individuals bearing this surname.

The earliest known records of the surname can be traced back to the 14th century in historical documents from the Kingdom of Bohemia, a major historical territory now part of the modern Czech Republic. Manuscripts from this period sometimes recorded variations of the name such as Zaytz or Zaitz, reflecting the orthographic practices of the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Jan Zajic, born in 1510. Jan Zajic was a notable figure in his community, known for his involvement in local governance. Another significant figure was Pavel Zajic of Hazmburk, an influential nobleman born around 1550 who played a prominent role in regional politics during the Habsburg reign over Bohemia.

As time progressed, the surname appeared in various legal and property documents, highlighting the social ascendancy of the Zajic family. For instance, in the 17th century, a record dated to 1603 refers to a Martin Zajic, a prosperous landowner in South Bohemia, whose tenure on extensive tracts of land is well-documented.

Throughout history, the Zajic name also appears in cultural and artistic contexts. Karel Zajic, born in 1795, was an acclaimed Czech poet and writer whose works contributed significantly to the Czech National Revival movement in the 19th century. His literary contributions are still celebrated in Czech literary circles today.

In the modern era, Frantisek Zajic, born in 1902 and died in 1980, gained recognition as a sculptor and artist whose works were exhibited across Europe. His sculptures often drew on traditional Slavic and Bohemian motifs, earning him a distinguished place in the art community.

The historical journey of the surname Zajic reflects a deep connection to Czech culture and history. Its early use to denote someone agile or keen, much like the hare, and its later association with notable figures in governance, literature, and the arts illustrate the rich tapestry of lives woven through this singular name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zajic

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

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 Zajic was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.62% 334
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 4.82% 17

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 Zajic has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.62% 93.58% 1.11%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Hispanic 4.82% 5.31% -9.67%

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

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

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"Zajic last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zajic-surname-popularity/.

"Zajic last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zajic-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Zajic last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zajic-surname-popularity/.

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