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

Zelinsky, 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 Zelinsky surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zelinsky in America

Zelinsky is the 27277th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zelinsky surname appeared 886 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 Zelinsky.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zelinsky 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 Zelinsky

The surname Zelinsky has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Ukraine. It is a toponymic surname, meaning it was derived from a place name. The name is believed to have originated from various places named Zelina, Zielona, or similar names, which all relate back to the Polish word zielony, meaning green. This suggests that the original bearers of the surname Zelinsky may have lived near a green area or a place named for its lush, verdant qualities.

One of the earliest references to the name can be traced back to historical records in Poland and Ukraine during the late Middle Ages. While detailed records from this period are sparse, the name Zelinsky or its variants start appearing in church registers and civic documents. This points to the name being well-established by the 15th and 16th centuries in these regions.

In Poland, the surname often appears in variations such as Zielinski, Zelinski, or Zelinsky, reflecting the nuances in spelling and pronunciation in different regions and over the centuries. In Ukrainian records, the name is often seen with similar variations. One historical figure by the name of Marcin Zielinski, a Polish nobleman, was mentioned in records from the late 1500s, lending an early historical anchor to the surname.

Another historical record from the 17th century includes Jan Zielinski, a landowner documented in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Additionally, there is a reference to Michał Zielinski, mentioned in military records from the period of the Bar Confederation, a Polish political and military movement in the 18th century.

Moving into the modern era, the name Zelinsky gained more prominence through individuals like the celebrated Polish scientist Ignacy Moscheles Zielinski, born in 1784 and known for his contributions to chemistry and natural sciences. His works were influential throughout Europe, bringing intellectual prestige to the surname.

Another notable individual is Yakov Zelinsky, born in 1863 in Russia. He was a Ukrainian-Russian chemist and is renowned for his pioneering work in the field of organic chemistry. His discovery of activated charcoal for gas masks in World War I was particularly significant.

Additionally, the name carries prominence into the 20th century with figures like Anatoliy Zelinsky, a Soviet physicist born in 1907, whose research in nuclear physics earned him significant recognition in his field. These historical figures highlight the surname's strong association with academia and science.

The surname Zelinsky has undergone different spellings and adaptations, reflecting its rich history and the migrations of its bearers across Eastern Europe. Its etymological roots in the lush, green landscapes of Poland and Ukraine have given way to a name associated with intellectual and scientific achievement over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zelinsky

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

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

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

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