2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zankich
A surname likely of Armenian origin related to the trade of carpentry or woodworking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Zankich. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zankich 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Zankich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zankich, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zankich
The surname Zankich is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The most probable point of origin is among the Slavic populations, particularly the Slovenes or Croats, with early records dating back to at least the 17th century. The name appears to be a variant or derivative of older Slavic names, likely related to terms that describe familial or tribal affiliation.
The root of the name may lie in the Slavic word "zanko," meaning a chain or link, which could metaphorically suggest a person who is a link in a family or community chain. Another possible derivation could be from "žanka," an old Slavic word denoting a person of diminutive or nicknaming context. The suffix "ich" is common in Slavic surnames, often indicating "son of" or "family of," giving the name a connotation similar to "son of Zanko" or "descendant of Žanka."
Historical references to the surname Zankich are scarce but existent. Early references to names bearing a similar linguistic root appear in church records and municipal archives of Slovenian and Croatian towns. The name Zankich itself becomes more traceable in the 18th century. For instance, a parish record from 1775 in Kranj, now part of modern Slovenia, mentions a Luka Zankich as a witness to a marriage.
Another early instance is found in a military record from 1798, listing an Ivan Zankich as part of a Croatian regiment in the Austro-Hungarian army. Records indicate that members of the Zankich family served in various capacities throughout the military history of the region, under different imperial banners.
In the 19th century, migration patterns due to socio-political changes in Europe caused families bearing the surname to move westward and to the Americas. One notable individual is Nikola Zankich, an immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1892 and settled in Pennsylvania, working in the coal mines. He played an active role in labor movements at the turn of the century, advocating for better working conditions for immigrant workers.
Another significant figure is Draga Zankich, born in 1901 in Zagreb, who became one of the first women in her region to achieve a degree in medicine. Her work in public health and women's healthcare in Yugoslavia during and after World War II brought her recognition.
In the mid-20th century, a notable personality was Petar Zankich, an engineer credited with making advancements in hydraulic technology. Born in 1925 in Belgrade, he held several patents and contributed to engineering projects across Europe and Asia.
The surname Zankich, though not exceedingly common, has left distinct marks in the annals of Eastern European history through its various bearers' contributions to their communities and professions. Sources such as parish records, military documents, and immigration logs from the past few centuries provide a glimpse into its historical footprint.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zankich
Among Census respondents with the surname Zankich, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zankich 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 Zankich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino11.7% · 12
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zankich
Zankich 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-10 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,741 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-12 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,041 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 17,741 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 10,041 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 Zankich 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 | #144,141 | #154,182 | -7.0% |
| Count | 115 | 103 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zankich bearers went from 115 to 103 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 10,041 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,182.
FAQ
Zankich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zankich?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Zankich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Zankich?
Zankich ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Zankich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Zankich.
Has Zankich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zankich went from 115 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Zankich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zankich, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Zankich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zankich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (11.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Zankich (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 Zankich mean?
A surname likely of Armenian origin related to the trade of carpentry or woodworking. 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 Zankich (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 surname Zankich?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.