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

Zepernick, 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 Zepernick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zepernick in America

Zepernick is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zepernick surname appeared 188 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 Zepernick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zepernick 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 Zepernick

The surname Zepernick originates from Germany, specifically from the regions of Brandenburg and Saxony. The name is toponymic, derived from the place name Zepernick, a village near Berlin. The earliest records of this name date back to the medieval period, around the 13th century, when surnames began to stabilize. The village of Zepernick was first mentioned in historical documents in 1244 as "Cepernich," a name that is believed to be of Slavic origin, meaning "place of the stork."

The etymology of the name Zepernick likely points to a combination of an Old Slavic word for stork, "čáp" or "čaplja," and the Germanic suffix "-ernick," signifying a place or settlement. This fusion of Slavic and Germanic elements reflects the complex cultural and linguistic history of the region, which has seen a mingling of various tribes and communities over several centuries.

Historical references to the surname Zepernick appear in various medieval manuscripts and tax records in the 14th and 15th centuries. One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname was Heinrich von Zepernick, a knight mentioned in a 1386 document related to land ownership in Brandenburg. This indicates that the family was likely involved in local governance or military service.

Another notable historical figure with the surname was Johann Zepernick, born in 1453 and died in 1517, a respected clergyman in Saxony. His contributions to local religious practices were documented in church annals, highlighting his role in the community’s spiritual life during the pre-Reformation period.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Hohenzollern dynasty, with Friedrich Zepernick serving as a steward to the Prussian nobility. Born in 1542 and passing away in 1598, Friedrich's duties included managing estates and overseeing agricultural production, a testament to the trust placed in him by his employers.

The name Zepernick also gained some prominence in the 18th century through the figure of Dietrich Zepernick, a merchant born in 1710 in Brandenburg. Dietrich was involved in the burgeoning trade networks of the time, importing and exporting goods across Northern Europe. His business activities are recorded in various trade guild documents from the period.

Another significant individual with the name was Maria Zepernick, born in 1832 and died in 1905, a noted social reformer and educator in Berlin. Maria's work in improving educational access for women and the poor was revolutionary for her time, and her legacy is honored in various German educational institutions.

These historical figures, along with the persistent presence of the Zepernick name in regional documents and place names, underscore the deep roots and varied contributions of this family throughout European history. The surname Zepernick not only signifies a connection to a specific locale but also reflects a rich tapestry of social, economic, and cultural involvement stretching back to the medieval era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zepernick

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

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

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

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