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

Zales, 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 Zales surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zales in America

Zales is the 76029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zales surname appeared 253 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 Zales.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zales 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 Zales

The surname Zales originates from Poland and can be traced back to the medieval period, likely around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "za lasem," which translates to "beyond the forest" in English. This indicates that the surname was topographical, referring to someone who lived or came from an area situated beyond a forest.

Geographically, the surname is associated with regions in Poland known for their dense woodlands, such as Masovia and Lesser Poland. As with many surnames of this nature, it served a practical purpose in identifying the individual's residence relative to notable landmarks like forests.

The surname Zales appears in various historical documents, though not frequently. One of the earliest mentions of a similar name can be found in Polish church and land records from the 15th century. A notable reference includes a 1463 land deed from the Masovian region where a Jan Zaleski is recorded, marking one of the first known uses of a variant of this surname.

In the 17th century, another individual, Tomasz Zaleski, gained recognition within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Tomasz was a minor noble and landowner who served in various local administrative roles. His birth is recorded in 1624, and his death in 1689, providing a glimpse into the diffusion of the surname among the Polish nobility.

Moving forward to the late 18th century, Stanisław Zaleski, born in 1753, emerges in historical records. Stanisław was a merchant and a known figure in the cloth trade of Kraków. His business dealings and membership in various trade guilds are documented in municipal records from 1790 to 1805.

Another notable figure is Maria Zales, born in 1832, who was a pioneering educator and one of the first women to champion for female education in Poland. She established several schools in Warsaw and published numerous articles advocating for women’s rights and education until her death in 1908.

In the 19th century, the name spread further afield due to migration. Adam Zales, born in 1845, emigrated to the United States during the wave of Polish immigration in the late 1800s. He settled in Chicago, where he became a prominent member of the Polish-American community and contributed to the cultural life of his adopted city until his death in 1917.

The documented presence of the Zales surname in historical records, public roles, and migration patterns reflects its rich heritage and connection to the geographic and social landscape of Poland. Each instance of the surname over several centuries provides insights into the lives of those who bore it, enhancing our understanding of its origins and significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zales

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

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

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

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