2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zamer
A surname believed to derive from the German word "zusammen," meaning "together."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Zamer. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zamer 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Zamer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zamer
The surname Zamer is believed to have originated in Central Europe, particularly within the regions of modern-day Poland and Eastern Germany. The surname could be traced back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th centuries. These areas were characterized by shifting borders and a mingling of Slavic and Germanic cultures, which influenced the development of surnames.
The name Zamer likely derives from an occupational or descriptive origin. Zamer might have roots in the Polish word "zamek," meaning castle or stronghold, which could imply that the original bearers of the name were associated with castle work or lived near a stronghold. Alternatively, the name could be connected to the verb "zamarzać," meaning to freeze, suggesting a possible habitation name for someone living in a cold or frozen area, or metaphorically describing a person's stoic nature.
Historical references to the name Zamer can be found in various old records and manuscripts. One early mention includes a document from 1348 in the Polish city of Krakow, referring to a certain Jan Zamer, a landowner and merchant. Another notable mention dates back to the 15th century, where a Mathias Zamer is recorded in a register of nobles in the Silesian region, reinforcing the name's early association with Central European nobility.
The earliest recorded examples of the name show slight variations in spelling, such as Zamar and Samer. These variations appear in documents across Poland and Germany, signifying the mobility and prevalence of the family. One such document includes the 1391 town records of Wroclaw (then Breslau), featuring a merchant named Peter Samer, who was an influential figure in local trade.
Among the notable bearers of the surname throughout history is Anton Zamer, born in 1783, who was a prominent figure in the cultural development of Vienna during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His contributions to the arts, particularly in theater, left a lasting legacy in the region.
Another significant individual is Maria Zamer, a 19th-century poet from Warsaw, whose works captured the spirit of Polish romanticism. Her poetry, filled with nationalist fervor and deep emotion, remains studied in Polish literary circles.
Moving forward to the 20th century, Heinrich Zamer, an engineer born in 1910 in Leipzig, played an integral role in the advancements of early aviation technology. His innovations significantly contributed to the development of aircraft during World War II.
The surname also appears in early sports history, with Otto Zamer, born in 1902, being one of the pioneering figures in German gymnastics. His achievements in various national competitions during the interwar period earned him a notable place in German sports history.
In the realm of politics, Stefan Zamer, born in 1930, emerged as a key figure in the post-war reconstruction of Eastern Europe. His work with international aid organizations and the Polish government during the 1960s and 1970s helped steer Poland through significant economic and political changes.
Through these historical snapshots, the surname Zamer illustrates a rich tapestry of cultural, professional, and social contributions, reflecting the diverse and dynamic heritage of the regions from which it originates.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zamer
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zamer 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 Zamer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zamer
Zamer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-10 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,439 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 11,439 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 Zamer 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 | #130,610 | #142,049 | -8.8% |
| Count | 130 | 120 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zamer bearers went from 130 to 120 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 11,439 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #142,049.
FAQ
Zamer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zamer?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Zamer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Zamer?
Zamer ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Zamer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Zamer.
Has Zamer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zamer went from 130 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Zamer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamer, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Zamer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zamer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (6.7%), Black (0.8%). 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 Zamer (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 Zamer mean?
A surname believed to derive from the German word "zusammen," meaning "together." 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 Zamer (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 people are called Zamer?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Zamer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.