2000
#23,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 982
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Zapf
German surname referring to someone who kept casks or barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,175 Americans carry the last name Zapf. That puts it at #25,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 291,706 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zapf 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
1.2K
1 in 291,706
Census rank
#25,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,025 bearers of the surname Zapf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zapf, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zapf
The surname Zapf originates from Germany, emerging in the medieval period. Specifically, the name can be traced back to regions like Bavaria, Franconia, and parts of Upper Saxony. It is derived from the Middle High German word "zapfe," which means "tap" or "spigot," referring to the occupation of a person who makes or works with wooden taps or spigots, commonly used in barrels of wine or beer. This etymology indicates that the name likely has roots in professions related to brewing or winemaking.
Historical references to the surname Zapf appear in various records from the medieval and early modern periods. One of the earliest mentions of the name is found in documents from the 13th century. For instance, a reference to a Heinrich Zapf dates back to 1286 in a Bavarian registry. This suggests that the name had established some level of regional prominence by this time.
A notable 15th-century figure named Johannes Zapf served as a town council member in Nuremberg from 1450 to 1475. His role in municipal governance highlights the family's integration into local political and social structures. His involvement in Nuremberg’s council provides an early example of the surname in civic life.
In the 16th century, a lineage of the Zapf family is documented in the Franconian town of Bamberg. Records from 1534 mention a Martin Zapf, a baker by trade, indicating the surname's continued association with crafts and tradespeople. This reinforces the occupational origins of the name and its spread within artisan communities.
During the 18th century, the name appears in scholarly contexts. Johann Heinrich Zapf, born in 1700 and deceased in 1767, was a distinguished mathematician and professor at the University of Leipzig. His academic contributions further diversified the contexts in which the Zapf surname was recognized, marking its presence in intellectual circles.
A particularly influential Zapf in modern history was Hermann Zapf, a typographer and calligrapher born in 1918 and deceased in 2015. He gained international acclaim for designing numerous well-known typefaces, including Palatino and Zapfino. His work significantly impacted graphic design and typography, ensuring the Zapf name is highly regarded in these fields.
The surname Zapf has thus traversed a broad spectrum of historical contexts—from medieval occupations to modern academic and artistic achievements. Its journey through various regions and time periods highlights the adaptability and enduring presence of the name in German-speaking areas and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zapf
Among Census respondents with the surname Zapf, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zapf 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 Zapf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 933
- Two or more races3.3% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 22
- Black or African American0.8% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zapf
Zapf 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
#24,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,005
+23 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 801 places
2020
#25,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,025
+20 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 496 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,986 | 982 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,787 | 1,005 | 0.34 | +23 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 801 places |
| 2020 | #25,283 | 1,025 | 0.34 | +20 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 496 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 Zapf 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 | #24,787 | #25,283 | -2.0% |
| Count | 1,005 | 1,025 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zapf bearers went from 1,005 to 1,025 (+2.0% change). The surname moved down 496 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,787 to #25,283.
FAQ
Zapf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zapf?
Name Census estimates that about 1,175 living Americans carry the surname Zapf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 291,706 residents.
How common is Zapf?
Zapf ranks #25,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,025 people with the surname Zapf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,175), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Zapf.
Has Zapf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zapf went from 1,005 recorded bearers to 1,025. That is an increase of 20 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,787 to #25,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Zapf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zapf, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Zapf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (933 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zapf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Zapf (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 Zapf mean?
German surname referring to someone who kept casks or barrels. 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 Zapf (0.34 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 are called Zapf?
Want to know how many people have the surname Zapf? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.