2010
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zareba
An Arabic surname meaning an enclosure or fortification.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Zareba. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zareba 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Zareba with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Zareba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zareba, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zareba
The surname Zareba originates from Poland and is deeply rooted in the Polish language and culture. It is derived from the Polish word "zagroda," which means "enclosure" or "homestead." The name is particularly associated with rural areas where enclosed homesteads were common. Etymologically, the word "zagroda" comes from "za" meaning "behind" and "groda" meaning "fence" or "enclosure."
Dating back to the medieval period, the surname Zareba likely emerged around the 14th to 15th centuries when surnames became more standardized in Poland. Historically, Poland relied heavily on agrarian societies, and many people were named after their occupations or locations. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned an enclosed settlement.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zareba can be found in various church records and legal documents from the 16th century in the regions of Mazovia and Greater Poland. These areas were rich in agricultural activity, which aligns with the meaning of the surname.
An early historical figure with the surname was Jan Zareba, a notable landowner who was mentioned in documents from 1575 in Mazovia. He was involved in several land transactions and disputes, indicating that the Zareba family held some degree of influence during that period.
In the 17th century, another significant individual with the surname was Katarzyna Zareba, born in 1620, who was a documented benefactor of the local church in Greater Poland. Her donations and patronage were recorded in ecclesiastical histories, showing the family's continued importance in their community.
In the 19th century, during the time of the Polish Partitions, the surname appeared in various peasant uprisings and insurrections. Wojciech Zareba, born in 1798, was a known participant in the November Uprising against Russian rule in 1830-1831. His activities are chronicled in several historical accounts of the uprising.
Moving into the 20th century, Stanislaw Zareba, born in 1889, became a noted figure in the labor movement in Poland. He was instrumental in organizing strikes and advocating for workers' rights during the turbulent interwar period. His efforts are documented in labor history books and periodicals.
In more recent historical contexts, Maria Zareba, born in 1922, was a renowned linguist and academic who contributed significantly to the study of Slavic languages. Her scholarly work and numerous publications have had a lasting impact on the field.
The surname Zareba remains a testament to Polish heritage and the agrarian roots from which it sprang. Throughout history, individuals bearing this name have contributed to various facets of society, from landownership and religious patronage to political activism and academic achievement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zareba
Among Census respondents with the surname Zareba, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zareba 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 Zareba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zareba
Zareba 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-11 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,064 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 12,064 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 Zareba 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 | #132,206 | #144,270 | -9.1% |
| Count | 128 | 117 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zareba bearers went from 128 to 117 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 12,064 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #144,270.
FAQ
Zareba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zareba?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Zareba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Zareba?
Zareba ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Zareba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Zareba.
Has Zareba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zareba went from 128 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Zareba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zareba, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zareba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zareba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zareba (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 Zareba mean?
An Arabic surname meaning an enclosure or fortification. 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 Zareba (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 Zareba?
You can see how many people are called Zareba on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.