2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zakis
Of unknown origin, potentially derived from a Greek nickname or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Zakis. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zakis 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Zakis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zakis
The surname Zakis likely originates from the Baltic region, specifically from Latvia. The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the medieval period, around the 14th century, when surnames became more standardized in this part of Europe. The name Zakis is derived from the Latvian word "zaķis," which means "hare" or "rabbit," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been hunters, fur merchants, or had some significant association with these animals.
Old Church Slavonic and other phonetic records occasionally spell variants of the name such as Zakis, Zakiss, and Zakissis, which provide a glimpse into the regional dialects and linguistic evolution of the name. Medieval manuscripts from the 15th century, particularly those documenting Baltic surname registers, often mention individuals bearing the name Zakis, although the spellings could vary due to transcription inconsistencies.
One early recorded individual with the surname Zakis was Jānis Zakis, who appeared in a 16th-century Latvian farmland lease document from 1567. He was noted as a prominent landowner in the Kurzeme region, a clear indication that the Zakis family had some measure of influence and wealth.
Another significant historical figure was Pēteris Zakis, a 17th-century merchant who traded extensively through the Baltic Sea ports. His commercial activities, documented in trading logs dated 1624, make him a notable figure in the economic history of Riga, Latvia’s capital.
The name also finds mention in a 19th-century record. Ieva Zakis (1834–1902) was a well-known folklorist who contributed to the preservation of Latvian oral traditions. Her work was instrumental in compiling the Dainas (Latvian folksongs) and is still referenced today by scholars of Baltic cultures.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially during the period of Latvian emigration to the United States, many individuals bearing this surname settled in American cities like Chicago and New York. One such individual was Kārlis Zakis, born in 1892, who became a recognized community leader among Latvian immigrants in New York. His efforts in founding cultural societies and promoting Latvian heritage were well documented in local newspapers and immigrant registries.
Finally, during the tumultuous periods of the 20th century, particularly during the Second World War, Māris Zakis (1921–1985), an officer in the Latvian Legion, played a role in the resistance against Soviet forces. His bravery and later works in the Latvian expatriate communities in Western Europe were chronicled in various post-war autobiographies and historical accounts.
The surname Zakis thus encapsulates a rich history, deeply intertwined with Latvian culture, socioeconomic developments, and diaspora experiences, and reflects the diverse narratives of those who bore the name throughout centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zakis
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zakis 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 Zakis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zakis
Zakis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,392 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,441 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 Zakis 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 | #143,149 | #153,590 | -7.3% |
| Count | 116 | 104 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zakis bearers went from 116 to 104 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 10,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #153,590.
FAQ
Zakis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zakis?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Zakis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Zakis?
Zakis ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Zakis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Zakis.
Has Zakis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zakis went from 116 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Zakis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Zakis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zakis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Zakis (2000, 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 Zakis mean?
Of unknown origin, potentially derived from a Greek nickname or place name. 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 Zakis (0.03 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 Zakis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.