2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zelhart
A variant of the German surname Zellhart, possibly relating to someone stubborn or unyielding in character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Zelhart. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zelhart 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Zelhart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zelhart
The surname Zelhart has its origins in Central Europe, with a higher prevalence in regions that are part of modern-day Germany and Austria. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries, a time when many surnames began to take form. The areas most associated with the surname tend to be rural regions, particularly in Bavaria and the Sudetenland.
Etymologically, the name Zelhart likely derives from a combination of old Germanic words. The prefix "Zel" could be a derivative of "Zell," meaning "cell" or "small monastery," indicative of a place name. "Hart" is an old German word for "hard" or "strong." Together, Zelhart might have originally referred to strong or fortified settlements or monasteries, or it could be indicative of a person living near or associated with such a place.
Historical references to the surname Zelhart include medieval tax records and ecclesiastical documents. One of the earliest recorded examples appears in a Bavarian manuscript dating to 1374 which lists a Wilhelm Zelhart as a landholder. The name also appears in church records related to the Duchy of Austria in the late 1400s, indicating the spread of the surname beyond its point of origin.
There are notable mentions of individuals with the surname throughout history. Johann Zelhart, born in 1532 and died in 1607, was a significant figure; a monk recorded in the annals of a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg. Another early notable Zelhart was Lukas Zelhart, a merchant from Nuremberg, documented in trading records from 1615 to 1639. In the academic circles of the 18th century, Friedrich Zelhart, born in 1711 and died in 1772, was a scholar noted for his contributions to early modern chemistry.
Moving into the 19th century, the Zelhart family name appears in various historical texts related to the Napoleonic Wars. Karl Zelhart, born in 1789 and died in 1845, served as an officer in the Bavarian army and was commended for his actions during the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. Lastly, in the realm of the arts, Emilia Zelhart, born in 1865 and died in 1932, gained recognition as a classical pianist who performed in Vienna and was known for her interpretations of Beethoven and Schubert.
In summary, the Zelhart surname carries a significant historical presence, primarily within Central Europe. It is connected to various societal roles from monastic life and academia to military service and the arts. This rich tapestry of history illustrates the cultural and regional influences that have shaped the lineage associated with the name Zelhart.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zelhart
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zelhart 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 Zelhart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 112
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zelhart
Zelhart 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,952 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,638 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 18,952 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,638 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 Zelhart 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 | #149,395 | #145,757 | 2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 115 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zelhart bearers went from 110 to 115 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,638 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,757.
FAQ
Zelhart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zelhart?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Zelhart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Zelhart?
Zelhart ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Zelhart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Zelhart.
Has Zelhart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zelhart went from 110 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Zelhart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zelhart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zelhart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Black (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zelhart (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 Zelhart mean?
A variant of the German surname Zellhart, possibly relating to someone stubborn or unyielding in character. 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 Zelhart (0.04 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 Zelhart?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.