2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zamsky
A habitational name denoting someone from a locality called Zámky or Zamky.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Zamsky. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zamsky 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Zamsky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zamsky
The surname Zamsky traces its origins to Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions that are now Poland and Ukraine. The name is derived from the Polish and Ukrainian languages, with its etymology rooted in the Slavic word "zamek" or "zamok," meaning "castle" or "fortress." This suggests that the Zamsky surname may have originally been used to describe individuals who lived near or were associated with a castle.
In historical records, the surname Zamsky appears in various spellings, including Zamski and Zamczki, which are adaptations of the original term. One of the earliest known references to the surname can be traced back to a 15th-century Polish manuscript, where a Jan Zamski is noted as a minor noble affiliated with a local castle in Lesser Poland. This early appearance suggests that the name was likely used to denote a geographic or hereditary association with fortifications during the Middle Ages.
Throughout the centuries, the Zamsky name was documented in various regional records. In the 17th century, a Mikolaj Zamski served as a magistrate in the town of Lwów (modern-day Lviv, Ukraine). His involvement in civic duties marks him as one of the notable bearers of this surname during that period. Mikolaj's records suggest that the family had established some prominence in local governance, highlighting a shift from purely geographic connotations to roles of administrative responsibility.
By the 18th century, the Zamsky name had become more widespread. A record from 1721 mentions Katarzyna Zamska, a landowner in the Podolia region. Her appearance in land ownership documents indicates that the Zamsky family had transitioned into the ranks of the landed gentry over the centuries, acquiring property and influence. This reflects the social mobility of the family and its adaptation to changing socio-political landscapes.
In the 19th century, one of the more illustrious figures with the surname was Alexei Zamsky, born in 1824. As an officer in the Imperial Russian Army, Alexei participated in several military campaigns and was recognized for his service. His military career reinforces the longstanding association of the Zamsky name with roles of prestige and authority, continuing the legacy of their historical ties to defense and protection symbolized by the "castle" origin of their name.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, members of the Zamsky family began migrating to other parts of Europe and North America due to political upheavals and economic opportunities. One such individual, Yakov Zamsky, migrated to the United States in the early 1900s, where records show he became a successful businessman in New York. Born in 1879, Yakov represents the family's ability to adapt and thrive in new environments while maintaining the heritage of their name.
The surname Zamsky’s history is a testament to the evolution of a family name from its beginnings associated with castles to a lineage that encompasses nobility, governance, military service, and commerce over several centuries. The name remains a symbol of resilience and adaptation across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zamsky
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zamsky 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 Zamsky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.9% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zamsky
Zamsky 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,188 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-5 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,188 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.9%) | Up 1,983 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 Zamsky 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 | #158,432 | #156,449 | 1.3% |
| Count | 102 | 97 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zamsky bearers went from 102 to 97 (-4.9% change). The surname moved up 1,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,449.
FAQ
Zamsky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zamsky?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Zamsky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Zamsky?
Zamsky ranks #156,449 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 97 people with the surname Zamsky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), 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 Zamsky.
Has Zamsky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zamsky went from 102 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Zamsky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zamsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Zamsky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zamsky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Zamsky (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 Zamsky mean?
A habitational name denoting someone from a locality called Zámky or Zamky. 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 Zamsky (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 people have the last name Zamsky?
See how many people have the last name Zamsky on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.