2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zakos
A Greek surname potentially derived from the Greek word "zakhos" meaning wild greens or herbs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Zakos. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zakos 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Zakos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakos, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zakos
The surname Zakos can be traced back to its origins in Greece, specifically from the regions of the Peloponnese and Macedonia. The name likely emerged in the medieval or early modern periods, around the 14th or 15th century, during times of shifting populations and regional dialects which influenced local surnames. The etymology of the name Zakos hints at its Greek roots, potentially derived from the word "zakos," an archaic or regional term, which may relate to a characteristic, occupation, or place.
In historical references, the surname Zakos appears sporadically in records from the Byzantine Empire. Documents from monasteries in the region of Mount Athos in the 16th century include mentions of the Zakos family as landowners and benefactors to the monastic community. One such early record includes a reference to Georgios Zakos, a local landowner who donated to the Monastery of Xenophontos on Mount Athos around the year 1573.
Moving forward, during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, numerous records include the Zakos surname, highlighting its persistence through turmoil and changing sovereignties. An example can be found in the tax registers of the Peloponnese, where the name Ioannis Zakos is listed around the early 17th century (circa 1620), indicating the family's continued presence and adaptation under Ottoman rule.
In the context of migration and diaspora, one figures notable in the early 19th century is Konstantinos Zakos, born in 1798, who became a prominent merchant involved in trade between Greece and Italy. His efforts in commerce brought him recognition and further solidified the family's standing in the socio-economic hierarchy of the time.
Further historical research uncovers the name in the narrative of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). An individual named Dimitrios Zakos, who fought in the Battle of Navarino in 1827, is cited in military records as a sergeant in the Hellenic Navy. His contributions are commemorated in local historical accounts and family lore.
By the late 19th century, the Zakos name appears in expatriate communities, especially in the United States and Australia, as many Greeks emigrated seeking better economic opportunities. This migration trend included notable individuals such as Nikolaos Zakos, born in 1865, who became a respected doctor after moving to New York in the 1890s. His medical practice and humanitarian efforts are recorded in local historical societies' collections.
Throughout history, the surname Zakos has marked the presence of families who navigated various socio-political landscapes. Despite its relatively modest frequency, the name has woven itself into the fabric of regional histories in Greece and beyond, illustrating the diverse roles and contributions of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zakos
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakos, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zakos 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 Zakos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zakos
Zakos 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+13 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,484 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,631 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,484 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,631 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 Zakos 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 | #138,304 | #150,935 | -9.1% |
| Count | 121 | 108 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zakos bearers went from 121 to 108 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,631 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #150,935.
FAQ
Zakos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zakos?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Zakos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Zakos?
Zakos ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Zakos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Zakos.
Has Zakos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zakos went from 121 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Zakos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakos, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (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 Zakos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zakos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Black (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 Zakos (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 Zakos mean?
A Greek surname potentially derived from the Greek word "zakhos" meaning wild greens or herbs. 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 Zakos (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 Zakos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.