2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zehringer
A German surname derived from the word "Zehringer," meaning a collector of tithes or taxes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Zehringer. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zehringer 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Zehringer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zehringer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zehringer
The surname Zehringer has its roots in the German-speaking regions of Europe. It is a toponymic surname, typically meaning that it is derived from a place name. The name is believed to originate from the areas around the Black Forest in southwestern Germany and possibly from the village called Zell am Harmersbach in Baden-Württemberg. The word "Zehr" in German can mean "to consume" or "feast", and "inger" is a suffix that likely denotes people or inhabitants of a particular place.
One of the early historical references to the surname can be found in medieval records. Historical documents from the 13th century occasionally mention Zehringer as a surname, suggesting that it was used by families in that era. For example, a manuscript from 1272 includes a reference to a Gottfried Zehringer who was a landowner near Freiburg.
An alternative spelling, Zehring, appears in several 15th-century texts, including tax records and legal documents. These documents indicate that the name was primarily associated with rural and agricultural communities. For instance, a Hans Zehring is recorded as a tenant farmer in a 1464 registry from the village of Triberg.
One of the most famous individuals bearing this surname is Rick Zehringer, born Richard Zehringer in 1943. He is an American rock guitarist, best known for his work with the bands The McCoys and The Edgar Winter Group. His adaptation of the spelling to Derringer for professional reasons is well noted, though it traces back to the original family name.
Another notable figure is Konrad Zehringer, who appears in 16th-century records as a prominent merchant in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Born in 1510 and passing in 1578, Konrad's trade connections spanned much of Western Europe, illustrating the spread of the Zehringer surname beyond its Germanic origins.
Records from the early modern period also mention a Johan Zehringer, who was active in the local politics of Freiburg in the early 1600s. Born in 1595 and dying in 1652, Johan served as a councilor and was involved in the administration of the city during a particularly tumultuous period marked by the Thirty Years' War.
In later centuries, the name continued to appear in various forms across Germany. A genealogical record lists a Friederich Zehringer, born in 1783, who migrated to the United States in the early 19th century, contributing to the spread of the name on a global scale.
These various historical instances and the evolution of the surname Zehringer highlight its origins and the enduring legacy of the families who have borne the name across centuries. The connection to specific locales and the notable individuals associated with it underscore the rich tapestry woven by the Zehringer lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zehringer
Among Census respondents with the surname Zehringer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zehringer 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 Zehringer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zehringer
Zehringer 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,893 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,530 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 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 16,893 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 5,530 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 Zehringer 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 | #159,712 | #154,182 | 3.5% |
| Count | 101 | 103 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zehringer bearers went from 101 to 103 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 5,530 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,182.
FAQ
Zehringer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zehringer?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Zehringer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Zehringer?
Zehringer ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Zehringer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Zehringer.
Has Zehringer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zehringer went from 101 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Zehringer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zehringer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zehringer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zehringer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Hispanic (1.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zehringer (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 Zehringer mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Zehringer," meaning a collector of tithes or taxes. 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 Zehringer (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 Zehringer?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.