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

Zellers, 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 Zellers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zellers in America

Zellers is the 10697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zellers surname appeared 2,988 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Zellers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zellers 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 Zellers

The surname Zellers is of German origin, derived from the German word "Zelle," meaning a small monastic cell or hermitage. It is believed to have originated in the 13th or 14th century in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 1395 manuscript from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a certain Heinricus Zeller is mentioned as a resident. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a monastic cell or hermitage.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various records from the Rhine region, including mentions of Johannes Zeller from Mainz in 1421 and Petrus Zeller from Worms in 1489.

A notable early bearer of the name was the German humanist and scholar Jakob Zellers, born in Ulm in 1478. He was a renowned linguist and theologian who taught at the University of Ingolstadt.

In the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and Austria. One of the earliest Swiss bearers was Hans Zeller, a prominent merchant from Zurich who lived from 1510 to 1572.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various historical records from various German states, such as the mention of Andreas Zellers, a merchant from Nuremberg, in a 1623 trade record.

During the 18th century, the name gained wider recognition with the rise of several notable individuals. These include the German philosopher and mathematician Johann Christoph Zellers (1737-1804) and the Austrian composer Johann Joseph Zellers (1744-1811).

In the 19th century, the name continued to spread across Europe and beyond. One notable bearer was the German-American author and playwright Ferdinando Zellers (1829-1909), who wrote several popular plays in the late 19th century.

Throughout history, the surname Zellers has been associated with various professions, including academics, merchants, artists, and craftsmen. While the name originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zellers

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

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

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

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