2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zautke
An occupational surname derived from the German word "Zote" meaning coarse wool.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Zautke. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zautke 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Zautke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zautke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zautke
The surname Zautke has its origins in central Europe, specifically within the region that encompasses modern-day Poland and Germany. Historical evidence suggests that the name began to appear around the 14th or 15th century within these territories. The area during this time period was characterized by a fluid blend of Germanic and Slavic cultural influences, which reflective in the surname's linguistic elements.
The name Zautke likely stems from an older Slavic or Germanic root. One plausible derivation is from an occupational or locational basis. The Slavic word "zajac," which means hare, combined with the German diminutive suffix "ke," can imply "little hare" or "descendant of hare," perhaps indicating a historical association with hunting or an area rich in wildlife. Alternatively, the name may have roots in a geographic location or village known for such attributes.
Historical manuscripts from the early 16th century in regions such as Silesia and Pomerania contain references to the surname Zautke. Unlike surnames that appeared in grand records like the Domesday Book, Zautke appears more frequently in local administrative documents, tax records, and church registries. The Prussian military rolls and land grants of the 17th century also mention the Zautke name.
One of the earliest documented examples of the surname is a record from 1527 in Silesia, where a Martin Zautke is listed as a farmer. In 1603, a Johann Zautke appears in Pomeranian church records as a prominent landowner. Hans Zautke, born in 1621 and deceased in 1695, was influential in local politics within the Brandenburg region.
In the 18th century, the name continued to surface in various documents. Friedrich Zautke, born in 1735, was a well-known craftsman in what is now the western part of Poland. Maria Zautke, born in 1760, is recorded in Lithuanian archives, suggesting the family's movement and integration into other parts of Eastern Europe.
Additionally, 19th-century historical accounts note Wilhelm Zautke, born in 1812, who was a significant figure in the Napoleonic Wars, contributing to the military strategies within the Prussian army. These references all contribute to a complex tapestry of the surname’s history, underscoring its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zautke
Among Census respondents with the surname Zautke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zautke 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 Zautke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zautke
Zautke 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-15 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,150 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-7 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 24,150 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 2,236 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 Zautke 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 | #153,769 | #156,005 | -1.5% |
| Count | 106 | 99 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zautke bearers went from 106 to 99 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 2,236 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #156,005.
FAQ
Zautke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zautke?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Zautke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Zautke?
Zautke ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Zautke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Zautke.
Has Zautke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zautke went from 106 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Zautke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zautke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Zautke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zautke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Zautke (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 Zautke mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "Zote" meaning coarse wool. 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 Zautke (0.03 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 share the surname Zautke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.