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

Zastrow, 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 Zastrow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zastrow in America

Zastrow is the 11343rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zastrow surname appeared 2,781 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Zastrow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zastrow 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 Zastrow

The surname Zastrow is of German origin, derived from the Polish town of Zastrzeż. It first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, in the region of Pomerania, which spans parts of modern-day Germany and Poland. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old Slavic word "zastřęžĭ," meaning "watchman" or "guard," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have been involved in military or security-related roles.

The earliest recorded instance of the Zastrow name can be traced back to a document from the year 1370, which mentions a certain "Hinricus de Zastrow." This individual was likely a landowner or a member of the local nobility in the Pomeranian region. Other early spellings of the name include "Zastroe," "Zastrohe," and "Zastrowhe," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and transcription common in that era.

One notable individual bearing the Zastrow surname was Hans von Zastrow, a Prussian nobleman and military commander who lived from 1520 to 1607. He played a significant role in the Prussian-Polish War and was appointed as the governor of Marienburg (now Malbork, Poland) by the Duke of Prussia, Albert Frederick.

Another prominent figure was Johann Kaspar Zastrow (1648-1721), a German jurist and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Brandenburg-Prussia under King Frederick I. He was instrumental in implementing administrative reforms and modernizing the Prussian legal system.

In the realm of literature, Carl Zastrow (1781-1835) was a German poet and playwright known for his satirical works. He was a member of the influential Göttinger Hainbund literary circle and contributed to the development of German Romantic literature.

The Zastrow name also has a connection to the military history of Prussia and Germany. Heinrich Adolf von Zastrow (1801-1875) was a Prussian general who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. He was awarded the prestigious Pour le Mérite, Prussia's highest military order, for his bravery and leadership.

Lastly, Friedrich Wilhelm von Zastrow (1841-1915) was a German politician and diplomat who served as the Foreign Minister of Germany from 1909 to 1910. He played a crucial role in shaping Germany's foreign policy during the years leading up to World War I.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zastrow

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

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

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

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