Find out how popular the last name Zeisloft is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Zeisloft.

Zeisloft, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Zeisloft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zeisloft in America

Zeisloft is the 58604th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zeisloft surname appeared 346 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Zeisloft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zeisloft to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Zeisloft

The surname Zeisloft is of German origin, which can be traced back to the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, dating as far back as the 16th century. The name likely has ties to the German words "Zeise" meaning "tine" and "Loft" denoting an elevated room or floor, suggesting that the original bearers might have been people who worked with tools or lived in higher stories of buildings. Another possibility is that it derives from the Middle High German word "zeisel," a type of bird, combined with "hof" meaning a courtyard or farm, implying an association with bird-catching or farming.

Zeisloft variants include Zeislov, Zeislau, and Zeislof, each reflecting phonetic and dialectical differences across various German-speaking regions. Historical records sometimes exhibit these alternative spellings in documents such as land grants, church records, and tax rolls. One notable appearance is in a 1580 Bavarian tax document mentioning a Hans Zeislov, indicating that the name had established presence in local governance and economy early on.

The earliest recorded individual with this surname appears to be Matthias Zeislof, who was documented in 1567 as a property owner in a Saxon village. His records denote his involvement in local agriculture and trades, providing valuable insight into the livelihoods of early Zeislofts.

In subsequent generations, the Zeisloft name continued to emerge in various historical contexts. For instance, Johann Zeisloft, born in 1624, was recognized in regional military records during the Thirty Years' War, reflecting the family's integration into broader European historical events. By the late 18th century, another notable figure, Friedrich Zeisloft (1743-1801), became known for his contributions to Lutheran theological debates in Prussia, underlining the family's intellectual pursuits.

In the 19th century, the name crossed the Atlantic with the wave of German immigrants to America. One notable bearer was Heinrich Zeisloft (1808-1888), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent figure in the German-American community, establishing several Lutheran churches. By the Civil War era, Carl Zeisloft (1839-1917) made a name as a Union officer, further embedding the surname in American history.

Another prominent Zeisloft, Margaret Zeisloft (1865-1942), was an early 20th-century suffragette and social reformer, contributing to the women's rights movement in the United States. Her advocacy and publications made a lasting impact on the perception of the surname in social justice contexts.

Throughout these centuries, the Zeisloft surname has been associated with varied professions and roles in society, reflecting the dynamism and resilience of those who bore it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zeisloft

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Zeisloft.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Zeisloft was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Zeisloft has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Zeisloft was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zeisloft, please contact us.

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