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

Zelensky, 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 Zelensky surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zelensky in America

Zelensky is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zelensky surname appeared 219 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 Zelensky.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zelensky 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 Zelensky

The surname Zelensky originates from Eastern Europe, specifically from the regions that are now Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus. It is a relatively common Slavic surname, with linguistic roots traceable to the old Slavic word "zelen," which means "green." This word might have been used to describe someone who lived near a green area, such as a forest or meadow, or referred to someone with a youthful or fresh personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in old records from the late Medieval period. The name Zelensky can be seen in documents dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. During this time, surnames were becoming more widespread among the nobility and gradually among the common people. The regions now comprising Ukraine were rich in dense forests and rolling meadows, which often influenced local toponyms and personally adopted surnames.

In historical manuscripts from Poland and Ukraine, alternate spellings such as Zelenski, Zelenskyi, or Zielinsky can be found, which reflect the phonetic pronunciations and regional linguistic influences of the time. For instance, in Polish records during the 16th century, several instances of individuals with the surname Zielinski are observed, hinting at a possible common origin with Zelensky.

One notable bearer of the name is Mikhail Zelensky, a 19th-century Ukrainian merchant born in 1821 and involved in trading goods between Russian Empire territories and Central Europe. Another prominent figure is Igor Zelensky, born in 1783, a Belarusian scholar known for his extensive writings on the geopolitical history of Eastern Europe. His works remain relevant in historical circles for their detailed descriptions of the cultural and political landscapes of the time.

Moving into the 20th century, Gennady Zelensky, born in 1915, was a celebrated Soviet engineer whose innovative designs in industrial machinery contributed significantly to the modernization of Soviet manufacturing. Another notable 20th-century individual is Valentina Zelensky, born in 1942, a Ukrainian artist who gained international acclaim for her vivid depictions of rural Ukrainian life.

The surname Zelensky has also appeared in literary contexts. Alexei Zelensky, a 19th-century Belarusian poet, born in 1860, is remembered for his romantic verses which frequently used nature as a backdrop, undoubtedly inspired by the etymological roots of his surname.

Throughout history, the Zelensky surname has stayed true to its etymology by often being associated with individuals connected to nature, geography, and cultural representation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zelensky

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

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

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

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