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

Zakem, 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 Zakem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zakem in America

Zakem is the 122314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zakem surname appeared 141 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 Zakem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zakem 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 Zakem

The surname Zakem likely has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within Jewish communities in areas such as Poland and Ukraine. The name itself could be derived from Jewish naming traditions and might have connections to Hebrew or Yiddish terms. One possible origin is the Hebrew word "zaken" meaning "old" or "elder," which might have been used as an honorific title for a respected elder within the community. This practice was common in Jewish culture, where names often hold significant meaning tied to religious or social status.

Records and manuscripts from the regions where this surname originated do not have extensive documentation, as Jewish communities often faced persecution and had less opportunity to maintain comprehensive archives. Nonetheless, the presence of the name in community registers, synagogue documents, and immigration papers, particularly from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, provides some historical context.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zakem can be traced back to Meir Zakem, a Jewish merchant who lived in Warsaw in the mid-19th century. Another notable figure is Rabbi Solomon Zakem, who was active in the early 1900s in Kiev, contributing to religious scholarship and community leadership.

In the United States, a prominent example is Samuel Zakem, born in 1892, who emigrated to New York from Odessa. He became a successful tailor and community leader in the Jewish neighborhoods of Manhattan. Another individual, Rosa Zakem, born in 1901 in Vilnius, Lithuania, became known for her works in Yiddish literature and her contributions to Jewish cultural preservation after moving to London in the 1920s.

Joseph Zakem, born in 1924 in Lwow (now Lviv, Ukraine), was a Holocaust survivor who became an important figure in Holocaust education in Canada after World War II. His personal testimonies and advocacy were instrumental in memorializing the experiences of Jewish communities during the war.

Also noteworthy is Ben Zakem, an engineer and inventor in the mid-20th century, who held multiple patents in the field of electrical engineering and contributed significantly to technological advancements during his career in Chicago.

These individuals illustrate the diverse contributions of the Zakem family across various fields and regions, highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zakem

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

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

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

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