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

Zeliff, 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 Zeliff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zeliff in America

Zeliff is the 79338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zeliff surname appeared 240 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 Zeliff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zeliff 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 Zeliff

The surname Zeliff most likely originates from the region of Central or Eastern Europe, with early roots potentially traceable to Germanic or Slavic linguistic origins. The name may derive from an old Germanic or Slavic word, possibly related to geographical features like forests, or even professions or descriptors.

The earliest references to surnames similar to Zeliff can be found in medieval European records, when surnames began to be used for identification beyond just given names. Variants such as Zelif, Zeliff, or Zelifsky might have been seen in those early documents. These variants imply a potential connection to Germanic or Slavic roots, where surname variations were common due to dialectal differences and transliterations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of a name resembling Zeliff appears in 14th-century records from the region that is now modern-day Poland and Germany. These records, church registries, and land deeds showcase the spread and slight variations in spelling over time, demonstrating the fluid nature of names during this period.

An individual named Heinrich Zeliff was recorded in a 1374 land transaction in the area now known as Saxony, Germany. This reference to Heinrich Zeliff indicates the surname's embeddedness within local communities and its possible use by individuals involved in land ownership or local governance.

Moving forward into the 16th century, another Zeliff appeared in records; Johannes Zeliff was mentioned in a 1590 document in Bohemia, an area that is part of modern-day Czech Republic. This indicates a geographical spread and the family's potential movement or influence across Central Europe.

In the early 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Magdalena Zeliff, who appears in the marriage records of Vienna, Austria, around 1612. Her marriage into a prominent local family suggests that the Zeliffs may have been of some standing in society during this period.

During the 18th century, Christopher Zeliff was documented as a merchant in Hamburg, Germany, in 1745. His involvement in trade underscores the diverse roles people with this surname took on as they adapted to the changing social and economic landscapes of Europe.

In the late 19th century, a prominent individual named Johann Friedrich Zeliff, born in 1822 and passed in 1881, was known for his contributions to local politics in Saxony. His extensive service in regional councils highlights the ongoing prominence of the Zeliff surname.

Throughout history, the surname Zeliff has seen various adaptations and movements across Central and Eastern Europe, evolving with linguistic and cultural changes while maintaining its roots in Germanic or Slavic origins. The presence of the name in historical records reflects both its antiquity and the diverse geographical and social roles its bearers assumed.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zeliff

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

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

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

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