2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zanis
A surname of Greek origin meaning "tanner" or "currier" (one who treats animal hides).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Zanis. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zanis 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Zanis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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Historical references to the surname Zanis are relatively sparse, but it does appear in some regional records.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zanis
Among Census respondents with the surname Zanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zanis 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 Zanis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 100
- Black or African American3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zanis
Zanis 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,479 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,734 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 6,479 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,734 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 Zanis 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 | #145,220 | #147,954 | -1.9% |
| Count | 114 | 112 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zanis bearers went from 114 to 112 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,734 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,954.
FAQ
Zanis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zanis?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Zanis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Zanis?
Zanis ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Zanis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Zanis.
Has Zanis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zanis went from 114 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Zanis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Zanis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zanis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Black (3.6%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Zanis (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 Zanis mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "tanner" or "currier" (one who treats animal hides). 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 Zanis (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 have the last name Zanis?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Zanis at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.