2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zellous
A variant spelling of "zealous", suggesting an enthusiastic or ardent person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Zellous. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zellous 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Zellous in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zellous, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zellous
The surname Zellous appears to have its origins in Western Europe, possibly in the regions of what is today Germany or Austria. Records from the medieval period in this area indicate that the name may have originally been derived from the German word "zellos," which means zealous or enthusiastic. This suggests that the surname may have originally been descriptive, referring to someone known for their fervent character or passionate temperament.
Early records of the name Zellous are sparse, but there are indications that the name or similar variants appear in regional manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries. One such early reference is found in a 1432 registry of landowners in the Bavarian region, where a Hans Zellous is noted as a significant contributor to local community projects. This record provides not only a historical context but also an association with landownership and presumably some level of wealth or status.
In the late 16th century, the name starts to appear more frequently in historical documents. For example, a Martin Zellous born in 1568 in the Austrian Tyrol region is mentioned in parish records as a respected blacksmith whose tools and works were highly regarded in neighboring villages. By preserving and passing down his craft, Martin Zellous contributed to the growing renown of the family name.
The Zellous name appears again in historical texts in the 17th century, particularly in military records. A Wilhelm Zellous born in 1625 served as a captain in the Thirty Years' War, fighting for the Habsburg Monarchy. His service distinguished him, and there are letters signed by him preserved in the Austrian State Archives, indicating his communication with higher command and thus ensuring that the name was documented.
Further down the centuries, the arrival of the Zellous family in England in the 18th century brings the surname into British records. An Isaac Zellous born in 1719 is listed in ship registers as a merchant who traded extensively between Liverpool and Hamburg, indicating the mobility and spread of the surname across Europe. His successful ventures in commerce are noted in several trade publications of the time.
By the 19th century, the name appears in various parts of the burgeoning United States, often maintained by descendants of European immigrants. One such example is a Jonathan Zellous born in 1843 in Pennsylvania, who is known from Civil War enlistment records. Serving as an officer in the Union Army, his letters and military documents offer valuable insights into his experiences and solidify the presence of the Zellous name in American historical narratives.
Throughout its history, the surname Zellous has retained connections to its possible Germanic root "zellos" and has been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zellous
Among Census respondents with the surname Zellous, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zellous 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 Zellous surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.6% · 103
- White6.7% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zellous
Zellous 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
#115,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
+40 bearers (+36.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 23,102 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-32 bearers (-21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,639 | 151 | 0.05 | +40 bearers (+36.0%) | Up 23,102 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -32 bearers (-21.2%) | Down 27,149 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 Zellous 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 | #115,639 | #142,788 | -23.5% |
| Count | 151 | 119 | -21.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zellous bearers went from 151 to 119 (-21.2% change). The surname moved down 27,149 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,639 to #142,788.
FAQ
Zellous surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zellous?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Zellous. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Zellous?
Zellous ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Zellous. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Zellous.
Has Zellous become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zellous went from 151 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 32 (-21.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,639 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Zellous?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zellous, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zellous in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zellous appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.6%), White (6.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Zellous (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 Zellous mean?
A variant spelling of "zealous", suggesting an enthusiastic or ardent person. 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 Zellous (0.04 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 share the surname Zellous?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.