2000
#56,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 335
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Zeier
A German surname derived from the Middle High German "zier," meaning "adornment" or "decoration."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 424 Americans carry the last name Zeier. That puts it at #59,100 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 808,383 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeier 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
424
1 in 808,383
Census rank
#59,100
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
370
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 370 bearers of the surname Zeier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 59100th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeier
The surname Zeier has its origins in German-speaking regions, emerging from what is now modern-day Germany and Switzerland. The earliest records of the name date back to the medieval period, specifically around the 12th and 13th centuries. The name Zeier is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "zier," which means ornament or adornment, suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been involved in trades connected to decoration or craftsmanship.
Historically, the name appears in various forms in medieval registers and scripts. One of the earliest references can be found in a 13th-century tax register in the region of Swabia, a historical region in southwestern Germany, where the name was recorded as Zierer. This similar spelling supports the etymological link to the word "zier."
One notable historical figure bearing the name was Hans Zeier, born around 1580, a renowned silversmith in Zurich. His works, characterized by intricate designs and detailed craftsmanship, are still admired today and serve as a testament to the decorative connotations of the surname. Another early example is Wilhelm Zeier, who appeared in the records of a guild in Munich in the early 16th century, suggesting a possible connection to trades related to ornamentation.
The name also appears frequently in church and land records from the 16th and 17th centuries. Georg Zeier, born in 1624, was a notable landowner in the Bavarian region, with several properties registered under his name, indicating the family's socio-economic status during that period. In Switzerland, the Zeier name is documented in the early 17th century with Ulrich Zeier, a member of the city council in Basel, reflecting the family's involvement in local governance and civic duties.
Moving into more modern history, the Zeier surname gained further prominence with figures such as Karl Zeier, born in 1799, who was influential in the educational reforms in Bavaria. His contributions to establishing more structured and accessible education systems are well-documented in the annals of Bavarian academic history.
In summary, the surname Zeier is steeped in a rich history that spans various regions in Germany and Switzerland, often associated with trades, craftsmanship, and civic roles. Its etymological roots highlight a connection to decoration and adornment, and historical records attest to the family's influence and prominence over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeier
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeier 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 Zeier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 317
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 29
- Two or more races5.4% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeier
Zeier 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
#57,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 353
+18 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 660 places
2020
#59,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 370
+17 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,979 | 335 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,639 | 353 | 0.12 | +18 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 660 places |
| 2020 | #59,100 | 370 | 0.12 | +17 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 1,461 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 Zeier 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 | #57,639 | #59,100 | -2.5% |
| Count | 353 | 370 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeier bearers went from 353 to 370 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 1,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,639 to #59,100.
FAQ
Zeier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeier?
Name Census estimates that about 424 living Americans carry the surname Zeier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 808,383 residents.
How common is Zeier?
Zeier ranks #59,100 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 370 people with the surname Zeier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (424), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Zeier.
Has Zeier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeier went from 353 recorded bearers to 370. That is an increase of 17 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,639 to #59,100.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Zeier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (317 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Zeier (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 Zeier mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German "zier," meaning "adornment" or "decoration." 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 Zeier (0.12 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 are called Zeier?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Zeier, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.