2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Zapon
A surname of uncertain origin and meaning, potentially derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Zapon. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zapon 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Zapon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zapon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zapon
The surname Zapon originates from Eastern Europe, specifically from regions that are part of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. The name began to appear during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th to 15th centuries. The areas in which the name was initially found were often characterized by Slavic linguistic and cultural influences.
Zapon is derived from the Slavic root word "zapon," which means belt or girdle. This root word is common in several Slavic languages and often referred to someone who made or sold belts, indicating that the surname may have been occupational in origin. The use of surnames to describe occupations was a widespread practice in medieval Europe.
The first recorded example of the surname Zapon comes from a Polish manuscript dating back to 1462. This document, which details the inhabitants of a small village named Wawrzeńczyce near Kraków, lists a Paweł Zapon, who is recorded as a leatherworker. This early reference underscores the occupational origin of the surname.
Another historical reference to the name can be found in a 1527 tax record from the region of Lviv, now in Ukraine, where a Mikolaj Zapon is listed as a landowner. This document highlights the expansion of the family and the growing significance of the name in different social strata. The name varied in spelling, sometimes appearing as Zappon or Zaponov, reflecting the linguistic and dialectical differences in the region.
One of the more famous individuals bearing the surname Zapon was Jan Zapon, born in 1580, who became a prominent merchant in Kraków. His records show extensive trade relations with other parts of Poland and Lithuania, suggesting that the family had established considerable wealth and influence by the late 16th century.
During the 17th century, the Zapon family continued to flourish. In 1642, a Łukasz Zapon was recorded as a member of the Polish nobility in a heraldic registry known as the "Armorial of Kacper Niesiecki." This inclusion indicates significant social advancement and a respected status among the nobility of the time.
By the 18th century, the Zapon surname had spread further across Eastern Europe. In 1745, archival records from the city of Lwów (now Lviv) mention Anna Zapon, a noted patron of the arts and education. Her contributions to local schools and her patronage of regional artists left a lasting legacy in the city.
In the mid-19th century, another notable bearer of this surname was Iwan Zapon, born in 1809 in what is now western Ukraine. He became an influential figure in the Ukrainian National Awakening, advocating for cultural and educational reforms and publishing several works on Slavic history and literature until his death in 1865.
The Zapon surname illustrates a rich history rooted in occupational origins, social advancement, and cultural contributions. Throughout the centuries, the name has been associated with various regions of Eastern Europe and has been borne by individuals who made significant impacts in their respective societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zapon
Among Census respondents with the surname Zapon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zapon 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 Zapon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino99.1% · 114
- White0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zapon
Zapon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+15 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 15,218 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 Zapon 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 | #160,975 | #145,757 | 9.5% |
| Count | 100 | 115 | 15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zapon bearers went from 100 to 115 (+15.0% change). The surname moved up 15,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #145,757.
FAQ
Zapon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zapon?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Zapon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Zapon?
Zapon ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Zapon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Zapon.
Has Zapon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zapon went from 100 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 15 (+15.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Zapon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zapon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zapon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zapon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (99.1%), White (0.9%). 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 Zapon (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 Zapon mean?
A surname of uncertain origin and meaning, potentially derived from a place name. 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 Zapon (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 surname Zapon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.