2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zeeff
A variant of the surname Ziff or Zief, which is of an unknown origin but possibly from Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Zeeff. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeeff 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Zeeff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeeff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeeff
The surname Zeeff traces its origins to the Netherlands, emerging during the late medieval period, specifically around the 15th to 16th centuries. The name is believed to derive from the Dutch word "zee," meaning "sea," and could have been used to denote someone who lived by the sea, or who worked in a maritime occupation such as a fisherman or sailor. The suffix "eff" might be a diminutive or a regional variation, common to Dutch surnames originating from different dialects and areas within the country.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Zeeff appears in maritime documents from the 1580s relating to shipping registers in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. These documents frequently recorded the names of sailors and merchants involved in the burgeoning Dutch maritime trade. Similar surnames in nearby regions at the time included Zeeveld and Zeevink, reinforcing the nautical connection.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, individuals with the surname Zeeff can be found in various Dutch records, including church registers and tax records. Jan Zeeff, born in 1645 and recorded in the Amsterdam City Archives, was a notable merchant who partook in the Dutch East India Company's activities. His involvement in the trade routes between the Netherlands and the East Indies was significant during that period, reflecting the surname's association with the sea and commerce.
Another prominent figure was Willem Zeeff, a 17th-century naval captain born around 1660. Willem Zeeff's exploits during the Anglo-Dutch Wars, particularly his command of several naval vessels, were documented in military records of the time. His leadership during several key battles earned him recognition and cemented the Zeeff surname in the annals of Dutch naval history.
Maria Zeeff, an early 18th-century scholar born in Leiden in 1705, contributed to the era's intellectual circles. Her works in natural philosophy were influential, and her surname appears frequently in academic correspondences and publications stored in the Leiden University archives. Maria's contributions to the Enlightenment reflect the broadening scope of the fields in which the Zeeff family was involved.
Jacob Zeeff, a 19th-century artist born in 1832 in The Hague, added artistic legacy to the surname. His landscape paintings, especially those depicting maritime scenes, were exhibited in prominent Dutch art galleries and remain part of collections in museums such as the Rijksmuseum. His works provided a cultural reflection of the Netherlands’ enduring relationship with the sea.
Lastly, Cornelius Zeeff, born in 1825 and a relative contemporary of Jacob, played a significant role in the industrial revolution within the Netherlands. As an engineer and inventor, Cornelius held several patents related to shipbuilding and naval engineering. Historical records from the Dutch Patent Office show his innovative contributions to improving ship designs, which were crucial during a period of rapid technological advancement in marine travel.
The surname Zeeff, with its roots in maritime traditions, has spanned various facets of Dutch history, from commerce and military exploits to intellectual and artistic achievements. The historical footprint of the Zeeff family is scattered across multiple records, each reflecting their influence on Dutch heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeeff
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeeff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeeff 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 Zeeff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeeff
Zeeff 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,713 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,867 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,713 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,867 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 Zeeff 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 | #151,532 | #148,665 | 1.9% |
| Count | 108 | 111 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeeff bearers went from 108 to 111 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,867 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #148,665.
FAQ
Zeeff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeeff?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Zeeff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Zeeff?
Zeeff ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Zeeff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Zeeff.
Has Zeeff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeeff went from 108 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeeff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeeff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Zeeff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeeff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Zeeff (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 Zeeff mean?
A variant of the surname Ziff or Zief, which is of an unknown origin but possibly from Old French. 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 Zeeff (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 share the surname Zeeff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.