2000
#10,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Zellers
An occupational surname referring to a person who lived by or worked at a monastic guesthouse or inn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,165 Americans carry the last name Zellers. That puts it at #11,003 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,295 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zellers 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 108,295
Census rank
#11,003
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,760 bearers of the surname Zellers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11003rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zellers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zellers
Among Census respondents with the surname Zellers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zellers 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 Zellers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,527
- Black or African American2.9% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 66
- Two or more races2.3% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zellers
Zellers 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
#10,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,988
+82 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 511 places
2020
#11,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,760
-228 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,186 | 2,906 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,697 | 2,988 | 1.01 | +82 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 511 places |
| 2020 | #11,003 | 2,760 | 0.92 | -228 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 306 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 Zellers 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 | #10,697 | #11,003 | -2.9% |
| Count | 2,988 | 2,760 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.92 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zellers bearers went from 2,988 to 2,760 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 306 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,697 to #11,003.
FAQ
Zellers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zellers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,165 living Americans carry the surname Zellers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,295 residents.
How common is Zellers?
Zellers ranks #11,003 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,760 people with the surname Zellers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Zellers.
Has Zellers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zellers went from 2,988 recorded bearers to 2,760. That is a decrease of 228 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,697 to #11,003.
What does the Census say about the background of Zellers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zellers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Zellers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,527 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zellers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Black (2.9%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Zellers (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 Zellers mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who lived by or worked at a monastic guesthouse or inn. 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 Zellers (0.92 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 Zellers?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Zellers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.