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

Zenor, 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 Zenor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zenor in America

Zenor is the 41038th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zenor surname appeared 531 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 Zenor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zenor 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 Zenor

The surname Zenor is believed to have its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely dating back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be a variant of the surname Zehnder, a Swiss name derived from the Middle High German word "Zeiner," which means a tenant or farmer. This connection suggests that the original bearers of the surname were likely associated with agricultural pursuits or tenant farming.

In historical records, the surname Zenor is relatively rare but has appeared in various forms and spellings, such as Zehner and Zeiner, which complicates tracing its precise origins. One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the Swiss chronicles, where similar surnames were often recorded in the rural communities of Switzerland during the 14th and 15th centuries.

One early recorded example of a similar surname is a Hans Zehnder, mentioned in Swiss land records from the late 1400s. It is likely that the Zenor surname branched off from these root names as families migrated and settled in different regions, adapting the spelling and pronunciation over time.

By the 17th century, individuals with surnames similar to Zenor began appearing in the records of Germanic-speaking areas outside Switzerland, including parts of Austria and Germany. A notable figure from this era is Peter Zehner, born in 1625 in Bavaria, who was documented as a landowner and farmer. His family’s movement and establishment in new territories could have played a role in the diversification of the surname to include Zenor.

In the 18th century, as European colonization expanded, the surname Zenor made its way to the American colonies. Records from this period include Johann Georg Zehner, who emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1741. He is an important figure as members of his family might have later adapted their surname to Zenor.

Throughout the 19th century, the name Zenor appears more frequently in North American records. An influential individual from this period is William Zenor, born in 1856 in Indiana, USA. He served as a U.S. Congressman from 1897 to 1905, indicating that the family had established themselves firmly in American society.

Another noteworthy individual is John Zenor, an early 20th-century figure born in 1904 in Kentucky, who became known in legal circles as a prominent lawyer and judge. His contributions to the legal field highlight the continued prominence of the Zenor surname in the United States.

The surname Zenor, while not widespread, has a rich history that reflects the movement of peoples and the evolution of language over centuries. From its likely origins in Swiss tenant farming communities to its establishment in the American political and legal systems, Zenor exemplifies the journey many surnames undergo through history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zenor

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

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

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

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