2000
#54,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 352
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Zeltser
Derived from the Yiddish word זעלטענ֘ער (zeltener), meaning "rare" or "unusual".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 486 Americans carry the last name Zeltser. That puts it at #52,802 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 705,256 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeltser 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
486
1 in 705,256
Census rank
#52,802
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
424
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 424 bearers of the surname Zeltser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52802nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeltser, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeltser
The surname Zeltser originates from Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions encompassing modern-day Belarus, Poland, and Lithuania. The name appears to have Ashkenazi Jewish roots and likely dates back to the 17th or 18th centuries. The name Zeltser is believed to be derived from the Yiddish word zeltser, meaning "mineral spring" or "source," which itself may trace its origins to the German word Selter, referring to a place known for its mineral springs.
In historical references, one of the earliest appearances of the surname Zeltser can be found in Jewish community records from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These records include various forms of the name, such as Selcer and Seltser, indicating the adaptability of spelling over time. During the 19th century, the Jewish population in these regions faced numerous socio-political changes, leading to the dispersal of families and, consequently, the spread of surnames like Zeltser across Europe and beyond.
One early recorded individual with the surname Zeltser was Mendel Zeltser, a merchant from Vilnius in the early 1800s. His business dealings were documented in local trade records, and he was known for his involvement in regional commerce. Another notable figure was Rabbi Shlomo Zeltser, born in 1823 and revered for his scholarly contributions to Jewish law and teachings in Lithuania. His works were periodically cited in rabbinical debates and studies of the era.
During the later 19th century, Morris Zeltser, born in 1868, emigrated to the United States amid the waves of Jewish migration due to persecution and economic hardship in Eastern Europe. Settling in New York City, he became a prominent figure in the Jewish-American community and contributed significantly to the establishment of various cultural and religious institutions.
In the early 20th century, Chaim Zeltser, born in 1901, gained recognition as a political activist and writer in Poland. His works highlighted the struggles and aspirations of Jewish communities in a turbulent pre-World War II Europe. Despite facing severe persecution, Chaim's legacy continued through his influential writings and the preservation of his work by subsequent generations.
Another notable individual bearing the surname was Ida Zeltser, born in 1910 in Ukraine. She survived the harrowing experiences of World War II and the Holocaust, later becoming an essential voice in Holocaust education. Her memoirs and testimonies provided invaluable insights into the experiences of Jewish communities during the war.
These individuals, spanning different eras and regions, exemplify the rich and complex history associated with the surname Zeltser. The name continues to carry historical significance, reflecting the resilience and contributions of the people who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeltser
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeltser, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeltser 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 Zeltser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 417
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeltser
Zeltser 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
#52,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 391
+39 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 1,796 places
2020
#52,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 424
+33 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,766 | 352 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,970 | 391 | 0.13 | +39 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 1,796 places |
| 2020 | #52,802 | 424 | 0.14 | +33 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 168 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 Zeltser 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 | #52,970 | #52,802 | 0.3% |
| Count | 391 | 424 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeltser bearers went from 391 to 424 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 168 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,970 to #52,802.
FAQ
Zeltser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeltser?
Name Census estimates that about 486 living Americans carry the surname Zeltser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 705,256 residents.
How common is Zeltser?
Zeltser ranks #52,802 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 424 people with the surname Zeltser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (486), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Zeltser.
Has Zeltser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeltser went from 391 recorded bearers to 424. That is an increase of 33 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,970 to #52,802.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeltser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeltser, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%). 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 Zeltser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (417 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeltser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (1.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.2%). 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 Zeltser (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 Zeltser mean?
Derived from the Yiddish word זעלטענ֘ער (zeltener), meaning "rare" or "unusual". 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 Zeltser (0.14 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 have the last name Zeltser?
Find out how many people are called Zeltser on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.