Zemlicka last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zemlicka

A Slavic surname derived from the word 'zemlya' meaning earth or land.

Zemlicka, 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 Zemlicka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zemlicka in America

Zemlicka is the 61585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zemlicka surname appeared 326 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Zemlicka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zemlicka 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 61585 62961 -2.21%
Count 326 297 9.31%
Proportion per 100k 0.11 0.11 0.00%

The history of the last name Zemlicka

The surname Zemlicka has its origins in Central Europe, specifically from the regions that are now part of the Czech Republic. The name is derived from the Czech word "země," which means "land" or "earth," combined with the diminutive suffix "čka," making the entire term translate roughly to "little land" or "little earth." This etymological construction suggests a connection to the land, possibly indicating that the original bearers of the surname were small landholders or worked in agriculture.

The earliest records of the surname Zemlicka date back to medieval times. During the High Middle Ages, surnames began to stabilize in the region, often reflecting occupations, geographical features, or personal characteristics. Zemlicka, with its agrarian roots, likely developed during this period, around the 13th to 15th centuries. Old records or manuscripts from this time period occasionally reference individuals with similar names, although variations in spelling were common due to the lack of standardized orthography.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname can be found in a 14th-century land registry from Bohemia. A man named Martin Zemliczka appears as a landowner in a small village near what is now Prague. This indicates that the name was already in use and associated with land-based activities.

The surname Zemlicka continued to appear in historical records over the centuries. In the 16th century, Jan Zemlicka was noted as a prominent member of a local council in the town of Plzeň, known for advocating agricultural reforms. Jan Zemlicka's contributions to local governance illustrate the enduring connection between the surname and the land.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Anna Zemlicka, born in the early 17th century in Moravia. She became well-known for her work as a herbalist and healer, reflecting the agrarian origins of her family name. Her reputation for medicinal knowledge was recognized in various local documents, providing insight into the diverse roles members of the Zemlicka family held within their communities.

By the 18th century, the Zemlicka family name had spread to neighboring regions, including parts of Austria and Germany, due to political and social changes that prompted migration. A well-documented figure from this period is Josef Zemlicka, an influential miller in the Bavarian region, born in 1732. His mill became a local hub for grain processing, underscoring the surname's persistent link to land and agricultural activities.

The surname continued to appear in historical records into the 19th century. One significant individual was Karel Zemlicka, born in 1804 in Brno. He was a notable member of the Czech National Revival, a movement aimed at reviving Czech culture and language during a period of Austro-Hungarian dominance. His participation in this cultural reawakening highlights the family's evolving influence beyond mere landholding.

Overall, the surname Zemlicka has a rich history tied deeply to the land and agriculture, with notable individuals contributing to various aspects of social and cultural life in Central Europe over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zemlicka

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

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 Zemlicka was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.87% 306
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 3.99% 13

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 Zemlicka has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.87% 94.95% -1.14%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.99% 3.37% 16.85%

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

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

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"Zemlicka last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zemlicka-surname-popularity/.

"Zemlicka last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zemlicka-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Zemlicka last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zemlicka-surname-popularity/.

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