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

Zellmer, 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 Zellmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zellmer in America

Zellmer is the 13506th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zellmer surname appeared 2,246 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 Zellmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zellmer 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 Zellmer

The surname Zellmer has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely a small town or village in the northern regions of Germany. The name itself is thought to derive from the Old German words "zelli" or "zelle," meaning a small dwelling or hut, and "meer," meaning a lake or body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zellmer can be found in a historical document from the town of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany, dating back to the late 1400s. This document mentions a certain "Hans Zellmer," a local landowner and farmer.

In the 16th century, the name Zellmer appears in various records and manuscripts from the northern German states, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg, and Pomerania. It is possible that the name was borne by families who lived near lakes or bodies of water, as suggested by the root word "meer."

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Zellmer spread across different parts of Germany and the surrounding territories. One notable figure was Johann Zellmer (1668-1745), a Lutheran theologian and author from Mecklenburg, who wrote several religious texts and sermons.

In the 19th century, as immigration to the United States and other parts of the world became more common, the Zellmer surname began to appear in records outside of Germany. One example is August Zellmer (1823-1904), a German immigrant who settled in Wisconsin and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Another historical figure with the surname Zellmer was Karl Zellmer (1870-1932), a German artist and painter who was born in Berlin and gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits.

It is worth noting that variations and alternate spellings of the name Zellmer have existed throughout history, such as Zelmer, Zellermann, and Zellmehr, which further emphasizes the connection to the original place name and its meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zellmer

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

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

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

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