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

Zanis, 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 Zanis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zanis in America

Zanis is the 145220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zanis surname appeared 114 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 Zanis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zanis 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 Zanis

The surname Zanis is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions known today as Latvia and Lithuania. This surname likely emerged during the medieval period, reflecting the linguistic and cultural characteristics of the Baltic peoples.

The etymology of Zanis can be traced to the Latvian given name Jānis, which is a cognate of John in English. The name Jānis is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious." Over time, it became common for surnames in Latvia to be formed from given names, leading to the adoption of Zanis as a family name.

Historical references to the surname Zanis are relatively sparse, but it does appear in some regional records. For instance, medieval Latvian manuscripts occasionally make mention of individuals with the surname Zanis. These documents hint at the surname's prominence in rural and town records, particularly in areas around modern-day Riga and Daugavpils.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zanis dates back to the 17th century, found in church and land records from Latvia. An individual named Kristaps Zanis, born around 1620, was documented in a parish register in Riga, where he was noted as a landholder and a respected member of the community.

Another notable figure with the surname Zanis is Jekabs Zanis, a farmer and local leader from the late 18th century, born in 1765 and died in 1829. Jekabs was an influential person in the Livonian region, known for his contributions to local governance and agricultural development.

In the 19th century, the name appears more frequently in official documents, including census and school records. One such individual is Karlis Zanis, born in 1834 and passed away in 1897, who was a schoolmaster in Liepāja and a proponent of the Latvian National Awakening, contributing significantly to the cultural and educational reforms of the time.

Moving into the early 20th century, the surname Zanis continued to be prominent, with Janis Zanis, born in 1875 and died in 1941, a prominent Latvian lawyer and politician. He played a significant role in the formation of the Latvian state and served in various governmental positions.

Finally, in the mid-20th century, Valdis Zanis, born in 1922 and died in 1986, became notable for his work as a historian and archivist. His efforts in documenting Latvian history and preserving important historical records have left a lasting impact on the country's scholarship.

The surname Zanis, with its roots in the given name Jānis and its course through Latvian and Lithuanian history, showcases a heritage rich in cultural significance and communal influence. Its bearers have played varied and meaningful roles across centuries, reflecting the enduring legacy of the name in Eastern European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zanis

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!