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

Zeko, 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 Zeko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zeko in America

Zeko is the 100302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zeko surname appeared 180 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 Zeko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zeko 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 Zeko

The surname Zeko is believed to have its origins in the South Slavic regions, primarily in the areas that are now modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro. The earliest documented use of surnames in this region dates back to the medieval period, roughly between the 12th and 15th centuries. Zeko likely derives from the Old Slavic root word "zek," which means "hare" or "rabbit." This association with an animal could suggest a nickname or a characteristic attributed to an ancestor, such as agility or speed.

Records from the medieval period do not provide extensive documentation on minor surnames, but one of the earliest mentions of a similar surname can be found in ecclesiastical texts and legal documents from the 14th century. These documents occasionally list family names of local notables and landowners. For instance, there is a record from Dubrovnik, a historic city in Croatia, dating back to 1371 that references a certain Ivan Zeko who held a minor clerical position in the local diocese.

In the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire began to exert influence over the Balkans, leading to changes in administration and record-keeping. Surnames like Zeko were cataloged in various Ottoman tax registers and military conscription lists. One historical figure bearing the surname was Marko Zeko, a Bosnian merchant active in the trade routes between Sarajevo and the Adriatic coast during the late 16th century. His business dealings are noted in several ledgers from the period.

By the 18th century, with the diminishing power of the Ottoman Empire and the rising influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the region, more structured census-like records began to surface. In these documents, the name Zeko appears with more frequency. Another notable individual from this time is Petar Zeko, a local leader in the Dalmatian hinterlands, who played a significant role during the Habsburg-Ottoman wars. His contributions to local defense efforts are documented in military correspondences from the 1750s.

Moving into the 19th century, the name Zeko continued to be common in the Slavic-speaking regions of the Balkans. A prominent individual during this era was Nikola Zeko, born in 1820 and died in 1887, who was a respected scholar and educator in Montenegro. His works on the folklore and oral traditions of the Montenegrin people are still referenced in ethnographic studies today.

Another distinguished bearer of the surname in more contemporary history was Dragan Zeko, who served as a reputable diplomat for Yugoslavia in the early 20th century. Born in 1895 and passing away in 1958, he held various posts including a tenure as an ambassador in several European countries. His diplomatic efforts during the interwar period and after World War II contributed to Yugoslavia's foreign relations and are recorded in various governmental archives.

The surname Zeko, with its rich cultural and historical background, continues to be a symbol of heritage and identity for those tracing their roots back to the Balkan regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zeko

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

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 Zeko 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 Zeko 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 Zeko was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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