2000
#9,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Zell
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "zelle," meaning "monastery" or "monastic cell."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,228 Americans carry the last name Zell. That puts it at #10,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zell 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
3.2K
1 in 106,182
Census rank
#10,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,815 bearers of the surname Zell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zell
The surname Zell is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word 'zell', which meant a cell or a small dwelling. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in a small hut or a secluded dwelling.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Zell can be found in various medieval German documents, with variations in spelling such as Zelle, Zellen, and Zell. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a person named Conradus de Zelle is referenced in the year 1285.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a compilation of records from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, where a certain Johannes Zelle is mentioned in 1349. This suggests that the surname was widespread in different regions of Germany during that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Zell name was Hans Zell, a German printer and publisher who lived from 1481 to 1548. He was a prominent figure in the early days of the printing press, and his work helped disseminate the ideas of the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable individual with the surname Zell was Matthias Zell, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1477 to 1548. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in Strasbourg.
In the 17th century, Johann Zell, a German botanist and physician, made significant contributions to the study of plants. He was born in 1670 and is known for his work on the flora of Germany.
The name Zell also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Zell am Harmersbach, Zell im Wiesental, and Zell unter Aichelberg. These locations likely contributed to the spread and popularity of the surname in different regions.
Throughout history, the Zell surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and religious figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zell
Among Census respondents with the surname Zell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zell 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 Zell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 2,557
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 115
- Two or more races2.8% · 80
- Black or African American0.9% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zell
Zell 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
#10,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,049
-21 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 812 places
2020
#10,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,815
-234 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 295 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,708 | 3,070 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,520 | 3,049 | 1.03 | -21 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 812 places |
| 2020 | #10,815 | 2,815 | 0.94 | -234 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 295 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 Zell 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 | #10,520 | #10,815 | -2.8% |
| Count | 3,049 | 2,815 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.94 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zell bearers went from 3,049 to 2,815 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 295 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,520 to #10,815.
FAQ
Zell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,228 living Americans carry the surname Zell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,182 residents.
How common is Zell?
Zell ranks #10,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,815 people with the surname Zell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,228), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zell.
Has Zell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zell went from 3,049 recorded bearers to 2,815. That is a decrease of 234 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,520 to #10,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Zell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Zell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (2,557 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Zell (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 Zell mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "zelle," meaning "monastery" or "monastic cell." 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 Zell (0.94 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 Zell?
You can see how many people have the surname Zell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.