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

Zarling, 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 Zarling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zarling in America

Zarling is the 37544th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zarling surname appeared 593 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 Zarling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zarling 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.

The history of the last name Zarling

The surname Zarling has its origins in the Northern regions of Europe, with a strong prevalence in German-speaking areas. Records suggest that it may have emerged in the late medieval period, roughly around the 14th to 15th centuries. The name is derived from the Old High German “zar” or “zarl,” which translates to a location-based surname, likely pertaining to someone who lived near or worked at a mill-race or water channel. This root word was then combined with the diminutive suffix “-ling,” denoting association or offspring, hence the full name could signify “the one from the mill-race.”

One of the earliest historical references to the surname Zarling appears in Alsatian records dating back to the 16th century. Notably, a Hans Zarling is recorded in Strasbourg municipal documents from 1589 as a mill worker. The recurrence of the surname in this context suggests that it may have been a professional or locational surname related to milling work near water bodies, a crucial industry in medieval Europe.

By the 17th century, the surname Zarling began to appear in various ecclesiastical records throughout both Germany and Denmark. In 1623, a Johan Zarling is documented in a baptismal record in Hamburg, indicating the spread of the family name through urban centers in Northern Germany. These records also suggest a family migration pattern likely caused by economic opportunities or religious shifts during the Protestant Reformation.

In the 18th century, the surname Zarling appears again, this time within Prussian military records. One notable individual is Lieutenant Gustav Zarling (1745-1798), who served in the Prussian army during the Seven Years' War. His diary, which is preserved in the Berlin State Archives, offers valuable insights into the daily life of a soldier and mentions his familial ties in the former Duchy of Pomerania.

The 19th century yields further references to the surname, especially as individuals bearing the name emigrated to the United States and other parts of the world during periods of European turmoil. In 1876, Friedrich Zarling (1832-1897) is recorded as one of the early settlers in Wisconsin, founding a large farmstead that became a local community hub. This use of the surname underscores its evolving nature as families moved across continents.

Another significant figure is Walter Zarling (1912-1990), a notable German historian who specialized in medieval European history. His research included tracing the etymology and migration patterns of surnames, including his own, which he published in several renowned academic journals.

Over time, the surname Zarling maintained its presence mostly within Central Europe while spreading progressively into the Anglophone world. The historical traces of Zarling reflect a lineage connected to the geographical and occupational aspects of medieval and early modern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zarling

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

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 Zarling was:

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

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

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

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