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

Zelle, 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 Zelle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zelle in America

Zelle is the 57234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zelle surname appeared 356 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 Zelle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zelle 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 Zelle

The surname Zelle originates from Germany, with its earliest historical records tracing back to the medieval period. The name is primarily found in regions such as Saxony and Bavaria. It is derived from the Middle High German word "zelle," meaning "cell" or "chamber," which in turn has roots in the Latin word "cella." This indicates that the name likely began as a topographic surname, describing someone who lived near a small religious house or hermitage.

One of the earliest mentions of the name Zelle can be found in medieval records. For instance, a Johan von der Zelle is listed in a 14th-century Saxon document, indicating the name's usage among families of some local prominence. In the 15th century, a Heinrich Zelle is recorded in Bavarian municipal archives, which suggests the name had become somewhat widespread in German-speaking regions.

The name also appears in various historical contexts, such as religious manuscripts and land ownership records. Notably, in 1648, during the Thirty Years' War, a Captain Klaus Zelle served in the Swedish army, indicating the name could be found even among military ranks.

Cultural and social changes in Germany led to variations of the surname. Variants such as Zell and Zeller can also be found in historical documents, sometimes referring to the same family lineage. In the 18th century, records show a Johann Georg Zelle, a craftsman in Nuremberg, born in 1732 and died in 1799, who contributed to local industries.

Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the surname Zelle. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, better known as Mata Hari, was an infamous Dutch exotic dancer and convicted spy during World War I. Born in 1876 and executed in 1917, she remains a prominent historical figure. In the field of academia, Dr. Hans Zelle, born in 1857 and died in 1924, was a notable German chemist whose work contributed to early pharmaceutical developments.

As the surname Zelle permeated through history, it has been documented in various forms and contexts, illustrating the family’s movement through social, military, and professional spheres in German and European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zelle

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

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

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

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