2000
#47,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 421
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Zemel
A surname derived from the Yiddish word for thread, possibly indicating an ancestral occupation related to tailoring or textile production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 450 Americans carry the last name Zemel. That puts it at #56,329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 761,676 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zemel 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
450
1 in 761,676
Census rank
#56,329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
392
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 392 bearers of the surname Zemel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 56329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zemel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zemel
The surname Zemel has its origins in Eastern Europe, primarily among Ashkenazi Jewish communities. It is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th to 15th centuries. The surname likely originated from the Yiddish word "zemel," meaning "earth" or "soil," indicating a possible connection to farming or the land. Another theory suggests it could derive from the Hebrew word "zemira," meaning "song," which could imply an ancestral link to musicians or singers. The surname Zemel may have also originated from the German word "zamel," which means "to gather," possibly hinting at an occupation related to collection or trade.
Historically, the name Zemel has been mentioned in various records. One such example is found in the Pinkas Book (records of the Jewish Community) of Prague, dating back to the 16th century. Another early mention of the name can be found in legal documents from the Jewish community of Krakow in the early 17th century, emphasizing the geographic and cultural spread of the surname across significant Jewish population centers in Eastern Europe.
Among the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Mordechai Zemel, born in 1628, a merchant from Prague who is mentioned in trade records from 1653. Another notable historical figure is Rabbi Aaron Zemel, an influential Jewish scholar from Vilnius, born in 1743 and known for his contributions to Talmudic studies and Jewish education up until his death in 1820. The name Zemel also appears in the annals of wartime resistance; Samuel Zemel, born in 1905, was a member of the Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair and part of the Jewish resistance during World War II, actively participating in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 before his untimely death in the same year.
Another individual of note is Dr. Sarah Zemel, born in 1889 in Odessa, who became one of the first Jewish female physicians in her region and was a noted advocate for women's health until her passing in 1962. Lastly, the surname is seen in the arts with Moshe Zemel, a renowned painter from Lvov, born in 1875, whose works are celebrated for their vivid portrayal of Jewish life and were exhibited internationally until his death in 1941.
The surname Zemel, resonant with historical significance, encapsulates a rich tapestry of land, music, and resilience, reflected in the lives of its bearers and their contributions to their communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zemel
Among Census respondents with the surname Zemel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zemel 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 Zemel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 363
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 13
- Two or more races1.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zemel
Zemel 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
#50,106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 418
-3 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,717 places
2020
#56,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 392
-26 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,389 | 421 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,106 | 418 | 0.14 | -3 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 2,717 places |
| 2020 | #56,329 | 392 | 0.13 | -26 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 6,223 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 Zemel 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 | #50,106 | #56,329 | -12.4% |
| Count | 418 | 392 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.13 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zemel bearers went from 418 to 392 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 6,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,106 to #56,329.
FAQ
Zemel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zemel?
Name Census estimates that about 450 living Americans carry the surname Zemel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 761,676 residents.
How common is Zemel?
Zemel ranks #56,329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 392 people with the surname Zemel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (450), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Zemel.
Has Zemel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zemel went from 418 recorded bearers to 392. That is a decrease of 26 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,106 to #56,329.
What does the Census say about the background of Zemel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zemel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Zemel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (363 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zemel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Zemel (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 Zemel mean?
A surname derived from the Yiddish word for thread, possibly indicating an ancestral occupation related to tailoring or textile production. 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 Zemel (0.13 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 Zemel?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Zemel at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.