2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zelinske
A surname of Slavic origin, possibly derived from a topographic name related to plants or greenery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Zelinske. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zelinske 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Zelinske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelinske, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zelinske
The surname Zelinske has its origins in Eastern Europe, primarily from the regions of Poland and Ukraine. The name appears to derive from the Polish word "zieleń", which means "green." This likely signifies a connection to verdant landscapes or agricultural activities, common occupational or topographical influences on surnames in the Polish and Ukrainian regions. Similar surnames in Poland include Zieliński and in Ukraine, Zelinsky, suggesting varied adaptations of a shared root word.
The earliest recorded instances of names derived from "zieleń" date back to the medieval period, when surnames were becoming standardized. Records such as parish registers and municipal documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in areas like Lesser Poland and the historical region of Galicia show similar surnames in use. However, the specific form Zelinske might have originated slightly later or evolved regionally.
Historical references to the surname Zelinske or its variants appear in documents from old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth territories. One of the primary sources of such records is the 16th-century tax registry known as the Lustracja. Similarly, historical manuscripts from Ukrainian Cossack registers in the 17th century list similar surnames, detailing those who served in cavalry units or were notable landholders.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname in its modern form is found in the 18th century in Polish noble records. A notable bearer of the surname during this time was Wojciech Zelinske, born in 1702, who served as a local magistrate in the region of Lublin. Another example is Jakub Zelinske, born in 1755, a landowner in the vicinity of what is now modern-day Warsaw.
Throughout the 19th century, the Zelinske name continued to appear in various legal and civic documents. For instance, Piotr Zelinske, born in 1831, is mentioned in Krakow's municipal archives as a prominent merchant. Additionally, Maria Zelinske, born in 1867, was recognized as an educator and philanthropist in the region of Poznań, further demonstrating the surname's spread across various Polish territories.
Further occurrences of the surname can be found among immigrants to the United States. Jan Zelinske, born in 1884, emigrated to America in the early 1900s and settled in Chicago, contributing to the vibrant Polish-American community there. Another example includes Antonina Zelinske, an early 20th-century artist born in 1891, who gained some acclaim for her contributions to folk art and traditional Polish crafts.
The surname Zelinske demonstrates a rich historical lineage, with various regional adaptations and significant bearers contributing to its legacy. Its etymological roots in the verdant landscapes of Eastern Europe highlight the agricultural background typical of many Polish and Ukrainian surnames. Through centuries of records and notable individuals, the name Zelinske marks a distinct and enduring presence in both historical documents and cultural narratives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zelinske
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelinske, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zelinske 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 Zelinske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zelinske
Zelinske 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+10 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 174 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 174 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,925 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 Zelinske 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 | #133,863 | #142,788 | -6.7% |
| Count | 126 | 119 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zelinske bearers went from 126 to 119 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,788.
FAQ
Zelinske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zelinske?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Zelinske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Zelinske?
Zelinske ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Zelinske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Zelinske.
Has Zelinske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zelinske went from 126 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Zelinske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zelinske, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Zelinske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zelinske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Zelinske (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 Zelinske mean?
A surname of Slavic origin, possibly derived from a topographic name related to plants or greenery. 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 Zelinske (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 are called Zelinske?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Zelinske is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.