2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Zeidel
A surname derived from the Yiddish word meaning "silk weaver."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Zeidel. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeidel 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Zeidel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeidel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeidel
The surname Zeidel has its origins primarily in Eastern Europe, with significant historical roots in regions that are now part of modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania. It is commonly associated with Ashkenazi Jewish communities. The name's derivation is most likely from the Yiddish word "zeidel," which means "tailor." This occupational surname indicated a person's profession in garment crafting, a common vocation among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe during the medieval and early modern periods.
Early historical records of the surname Zeidel indicate its presence in various Jewish communities. One of the first mentions of the name can be found in the fairly extensive registry of Jewish surnames in 18th-century Poland. The surname appears in several community records and synagogue registries. One specific mention can be found in the Jewish community of Kraków, a vibrant center of Jewish life, where a man named Abraham Zeidel was recorded in community documents in the early 1700s.
Over the centuries, the name Zeidel spread to other parts of Eastern Europe, and spelling variations such as Seidel and Zaidel emerged. Notably, in the city of Vilnius, a significant cultural and intellectual center known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania," records from the mid-19th century show the presence of individuals like Israel Zeidel, born in 1824, who contributed to the local Jewish scholarly community.
The name Zeidel continued to appear in historical texts throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the records of the Jewish community of Odessa, a significant port city and hub of Jewish life on the Black Sea, a merchant named Aron Zeidel, born in 1857, is mentioned in business directories and community registers. His contributions to the local commerce and charity were well respected.
Further to the west, the name Zeidel also made its way into Germany, particularly in Berlin. Hermann Zeidel, born in 1871, became known as a writer and intellectual who contributed to Jewish literature and thought at the turn of the century. His writings provided insights into the life and challenges of Jewish communities during a time of significant social change and modernization.
By the early 20th century, individuals with the surname Zeidel began to appear in records related to immigration, particularly to the United States. For instance, Morris Zeidel, born in 1889 in what is now Ukraine, is documented as having arrived at Ellis Island in 1911. Settling in New York City, Morris Zeidel continued his trade as a tailor and became part of the vibrant Jewish immigrant community on the Lower East Side.
Throughout history, the surname Zeidel has been borne by individuals who played various roles in their communities, from scholars and merchants to writers and artisans. These individuals have contributed to the rich tapestry of Jewish cultural and professional life across Eastern Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeidel
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeidel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeidel 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 Zeidel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeidel
Zeidel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,073 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 8,073 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 Zeidel 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 | #151,639 | 5.1% |
| Count | 101 | 107 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeidel bearers went from 101 to 107 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 8,073 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #151,639.
FAQ
Zeidel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeidel?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Zeidel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Zeidel?
Zeidel ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Zeidel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Zeidel.
Has Zeidel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeidel went from 101 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 6 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeidel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeidel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Zeidel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeidel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Black (2.8%). 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 Zeidel (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 Zeidel mean?
A surname derived from the Yiddish word meaning "silk weaver." 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 Zeidel (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 common is the surname Zeidel?
See how many people have the last name Zeidel on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.