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

Zeman, 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 Zeman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zeman in America

Zeman is the 8572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zeman surname appeared 3,843 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 Zeman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zeman 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 Zeman

The surname ZEMAN is of Czech origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Czech word "zeman," which referred to a lower noble or landed gentry in medieval times. The name likely originated in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were part of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ZEMAN can be found in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a certain "Zemanus de Hrusovan" is mentioned in a document from 1365, suggesting the existence of the name in that region during that time period.

One notable bearer of the surname ZEMAN was Jan Zeman (c. 1380-1422), a Hussite military leader and rebel during the Hussite Wars in Bohemia. He played a significant role in the early stages of the Hussite rebellion against the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire.

Another historically significant individual with the surname ZEMAN was Václav Zeman (1772-1835), a Czech painter and engraver who was a notable figure in the Biedermeier art movement. His works often depicted everyday scenes and landscapes, capturing the spirit of the time.

In the 19th century, Karel Zeman (1830-1917) was a prominent Czech architect who designed several notable buildings in Prague, including the National Theater and the Rudolfinum concert hall. His architectural contributions had a lasting impact on the city's skyline and cultural landscape.

Moving into the 20th century, Karel Zeman (1910-1989) was a renowned Czech filmmaker and pioneer of special effects cinematography. He is best known for his iconic films "Journey to the Beginning of Time" (1955) and "The Fabulous Baron Munchausen" (1962), which showcased his innovative techniques and imaginative storytelling.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname ZEMAN, highlighting its rich heritage and connections to various fields, from military leadership and art to architecture and filmmaking.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zeman

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

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

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

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