Zant last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zant

A variant spelling of the surname Zandt, of Dutch origin meaning "sand".

Zant, 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 Zant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zant in America

Zant is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zant surname appeared 330 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 Zant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zant 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 60960 51680 16.48%
Count 330 378 -13.56%
Proportion per 100k 0.11 0.14 -24.00%

The history of the last name Zant

The surname Zant is believed to have originated in the region of the Netherlands, specifically during the medieval period. The name is most commonly associated with the Dutch word "zand," which translates to "sand" in English. This etymological connection suggests that the name possibly referred to someone who lived near sandy areas or a dune, characteristic of various Dutch landscapes. Additionally, old forms of the surname, such as Sande or Zande, support this derivation and indicate a geographical association.

One of the earliest references to the surname Zant can be found in 14th-century records, where local archives mention families bearing this name in the provinces of Holland and Zeeland. These historical documents provide evidence that the name has been in use for several centuries. The presence of the name in these records highlights its integration into the social fabric of the time.

Noteworthy bearers of the surname include Pieter van Zant, a notable figure in Dutch history born in 1453, who served as a merchant and city council member in Rotterdam, passing away in 1510. His contributions to trade and local governance left a substantial impact on the city. Another prominent individual is Jan Zant, an artist born in Amsterdam in 1607, who gained recognition for his landscape paintings and passed away in 1680. His works are still appreciated for their detailed depiction of the Dutch countryside.

Moving forward, Cornelis Zant, born in 1671, was a notable shipbuilder in Enkhuizen. His advancements in ship design significantly influenced maritime engineering during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He continued his work well into the early 1700s, leaving a legacy within the shipbuilding community.

Adriaen van Zant, born in 1745, was a well-regarded figure in Dutch academic circles. As a professor of philosophy at Leiden University, his scholarly works and teachings during the late 18th century contributed greatly to intellectual discourse of the period. Recognized for his philosophical treatises, Adriaen's influence extended well beyond his lifetime, with his passing recorded in 1812.

Further into the 19th century, Dirk Zant, born in 1820 in Utrecht, made significant advancements in the field of civil engineering. His innovative approaches to water management and infrastructure development had profound effects on urban planning in the Netherlands. Dirk Zant's career, spanning several decades, concluded with his death in 1895, yet his contributions are immortalized in Dutch engineering history.

The surname Zant has thus been associated with various domains such as trade, art, shipbuilding, academia, and engineering throughout its history. The name's etymological roots in the Dutch language and its historical presence in the Netherlands highlight its longstanding connection to the region and its cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zant

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

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 Zant was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 90.61% 299
Non-Hispanic Black Only 4.24% 14
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.42% 8
Hispanic Origin 2.12% 7

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 Zant has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 90.61% 93.12% -2.73%
Black 4.24% 3.17% 28.88%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 1.32% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.42% 1.59% 41.40%
Hispanic 2.12% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Zant last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zant-surname-popularity/.

"Zant last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zant-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Zant last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zant-surname-popularity/.

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