2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zemlock
A surname potentially derived from a German location or an occupational term related to mining or land cultivation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Zemlock. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zemlock 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Zemlock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zemlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zemlock
The surname Zemlock is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, likely in the regions that now comprise modern-day Poland and Germany. It is speculated that the name Zemlock dates back to the medieval period, possibly emerging between the 13th and 15th centuries. The name's origin is often traced to the Slavic and Germanic linguistic roots, combining elements that indicate local geographic features or occupations.
One proposed derivation of the surname Zemlock is from the Slavic word "zem" which means "earth" or "land" and the Germanic "loch" which translates to "lock" or "enclosure." This combination could imply a person associated with enclosed land or a specific plot of earth. Variants of the surname over the centuries have included Ziemloch and Semloch, and these variants were sometimes used interchangeably in old documents.
Historical records do offer clues about the surname's presence in various regions. An early record from the mid-14th century mentions a Heinrich Zemloch in Silesia, a historical region of Central Europe now divided between Poland and the Czech Republic. Manuscripts from this period often recorded names phonetically, leading to multiple spellings that resemble Zemlock.
One of the earliest prominent individuals bearing the name Zemlock is Johann Zemlock, born in 1602 and died in 1675. He served as a local magistrate in what is now southern Poland. His contributions to local governance were documented in municipal archives that highlighted his role in mediating disputes and managing civic affairs.
In the mid-18th century, records from Brandenburg-Prussia mention a merchant named Andreas Zemloch, born in 1720 and died in 1783, whose trade activities established connections between various Hanseatic cities. Jens Zemloch, a German farm owner documented in the 19th century (1805-1879), contributed significantly to agricultural practices in the region, particularly revolving around innovative crop rotations.
The surname appears again in cultural context linked to Wladyslaw Zemloch, an influential figure in the Polish intelligentsia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (1871-1934). He was a prolific writer and thinker, having published numerous essays on social and economic reforms in Poland.
Another notable appearance of the surname is in the context of migration during the 19th century. Karl Zemlock, born in 1818 and died in 1889, emigrated to the United States in the 1840s. He established a successful printing business in New York City, contributing to the dissemination of German-language newspapers and literature among the immigrant community.
By examining documents, old manuscripts, and historical records spanning centuries, a rich history of the Zemlock surname emerges, demonstrating its geographical spread and the significant contributions of its bearers across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zemlock
Among Census respondents with the surname Zemlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zemlock 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 Zemlock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zemlock
Zemlock 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+4 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,960 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-18 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 4,960 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 17,534 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 Zemlock 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 | #127,494 | #145,028 | -13.8% |
| Count | 134 | 116 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zemlock bearers went from 134 to 116 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 17,534 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #145,028.
FAQ
Zemlock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zemlock?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Zemlock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Zemlock?
Zemlock ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Zemlock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Zemlock.
Has Zemlock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zemlock went from 134 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Zemlock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zemlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Zemlock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zemlock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Zemlock (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 Zemlock mean?
A surname potentially derived from a German location or an occupational term related to mining or land cultivation. 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 Zemlock (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 common is the surname Zemlock?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Zemlock on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.