2000
#44,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 452
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Zeiser
A Germanicized rendition of a Slavic surname derived from the term zezic, meaning "to burn" or "to scorch."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 519 Americans carry the last name Zeiser. That puts it at #49,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 660,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeiser 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
519
1 in 660,413
Census rank
#49,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
453
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 453 bearers of the surname Zeiser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeiser
The surname Zeiser has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in the medieval territories that today comprise modern Germany and Austria. Its etymological roots are primarily Germanic, derived from the Middle High German word "zeis" or "zeisig," which translates to "siskin," a type of small bird. This suggests that the name may have originally been used as a nickname for someone with bird-like qualities or possibly a bird-catcher or trader in birds.
The earliest known instances of the surname Zeiser appear in medieval German records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One of the oldest documented appearances is in a 1315 manuscript from the region now known as Bavaria, where a Hans Zeiserman is listed as a landowner. Variations of the surname, such as Zaiser and Zeisig, have also been recorded in different parts of Germany and Austria.
The name appears in other historical documents, including tax records and guild registers, suggesting that bearers of the name were often involved in various trades or local governance. For example, a Wilhelm Zeisig is noted in a 1452 guild register in Nuremberg, indicating that individuals with this surname were active in the flourishing medieval trade guilds.
A notable bearer of the surname in the 16th century was Peter Zeiser, born in 1524 in the city of Augsburg. He was a well-known artisan and contributed to the local craftsmanship traditions of the time, which were renowned throughout Europe. Another significant individual was Johannes Zeiser, born in 1623, who served as a local magistrate in a small town outside Frankfurt.
By the 18th century, the surname had found its way to various parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Franz Zeiser, born in 1743, became a noted academic in Vienna, contributing to the early studies of natural sciences. This movement of the surname across different regions showcases its growing prominence and distribution beyond its original area.
In the 19th century, the surname Zeiser continued to appear in various official records, including immigration documents. A prominent example is Karl Zeiser, born in 1820, who emigrated to the United States during the mid-19th century and became a noted figure in the German-American community in Pennsylvania.
The surname Zeiser, over centuries, has evolved and spread across different regions, yet its historical roots and the documented evidence found in old manuscripts, tax records, and guild registers firmly establish its origin and significance in German-speaking Europe. This history highlights not only the origins and meanings of the surname but also its journey through time and geography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeiser
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeiser 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 Zeiser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 428
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 9
- Two or more races1.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeiser
Zeiser 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
#63,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 312
-140 bearers (-31.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 19,135 places
2020
#49,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 453
+141 bearers (+45.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 13,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,738 | 452 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,873 | 312 | 0.11 | -140 bearers (-31.0%) | Down 19,135 places |
| 2020 | #49,989 | 453 | 0.15 | +141 bearers (+45.2%) | Up 13,884 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 Zeiser 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 | #63,873 | #49,989 | 21.7% |
| Count | 312 | 453 | 45.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.15 | 37.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeiser bearers went from 312 to 453 (+45.2% change). The surname moved up 13,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,873 to #49,989.
FAQ
Zeiser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeiser?
Name Census estimates that about 519 living Americans carry the surname Zeiser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 660,413 residents.
How common is Zeiser?
Zeiser ranks #49,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 453 people with the surname Zeiser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (519), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Zeiser.
Has Zeiser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeiser went from 312 recorded bearers to 453. That is an increase of 141 (+45.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #63,873 to #49,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeiser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Zeiser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeiser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Zeiser (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 Zeiser mean?
A Germanicized rendition of a Slavic surname derived from the term zezic, meaning "to burn" or "to scorch." 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 Zeiser (0.15 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 have the surname Zeiser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.