2000
#17,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,523
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Zepp
A occupational surname derived from the German word "Ziep" meaning jar or pot.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,659 Americans carry the last name Zepp. That puts it at #18,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 206,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zepp 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
1.7K
1 in 206,603
Census rank
#18,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,447 bearers of the surname Zepp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zepp, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zepp
The surname Zepp is believed to have originated from Germany, with ties to the early medieval period. The name likely comes from the Middle High German word "zäpfe," which means "to pin" or "to fasten." This term was likely used as a nickname or an occupational name for someone who worked with pins or fasteners, common trades in that era.
The earliest records of the surname can be traced back to regions such as the Rhineland and Baden-Württemberg. Variations in spelling were common, including Zeppel and Zep. The surname may have first appeared in historical documents like tax records or property deeds as Europe's feudal system required detailed documentation.
A notable early occurrence of the name is found in a 14th-century manuscript detailing the citizens of Mainz, a significant city in the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, records from Alsace also show the presence of individuals with the surname Zepp, suggesting the name had spread across different German-speaking regions.
One remarkable individual from history is Johann Zeppel, born around 1650, noted for being a prominent merchant in Bavaria. His business dealings brought the name into various commercial records of the period.
In the 18th century, the name finds its way into military records, particularly with Franz Zepp, born in 1734, who served in the army of Maria Theresa of Austria. His valor and commitment earned him recognition and a place in the military chronicles of the Habsburg Monarchy.
The name Zepp continued to appear in historical documents into the 19th century. Augustus Zepp, an influential industrialist born in 1803, is particularly noteworthy for his contributions to early German industry. He played a significant role in the establishment of manufacturing processes that fueled the industrial revolution in Germany.
Migration patterns during the 19th century saw the surname spread to other countries, including the United States. Michael Zepp, who emigrated to America in 1845, settled in Pennsylvania and became one of the early pioneers of German ancestry in the region. His descendants further propagated the surname across other parts of the country.
By tracing these early origins, variations, and notable individuals, the history of the surname Zepp reveals a rich tapestry tied to Germanic roots, regional migrations, and contributions to various historical epochs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zepp
Among Census respondents with the surname Zepp, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Zepp 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 Zepp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 1,378
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 34
- Two or more races2.1% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zepp
Zepp 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
#18,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,527
+4 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 1,053 places
2020
#18,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,447
-80 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Down 587 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,165 | 1,523 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,218 | 1,527 | 0.52 | +4 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 1,053 places |
| 2020 | #18,805 | 1,447 | 0.48 | -80 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 587 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 Zepp 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 | #18,218 | #18,805 | -3.2% |
| Count | 1,527 | 1,447 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.48 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zepp bearers went from 1,527 to 1,447 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 587 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,218 to #18,805.
FAQ
Zepp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zepp?
Name Census estimates that about 1,659 living Americans carry the surname Zepp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 206,603 residents.
How common is Zepp?
Zepp ranks #18,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 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 1,447 people with the surname Zepp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,659), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 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 Zepp.
Has Zepp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zepp went from 1,527 recorded bearers to 1,447. That is a decrease of 80 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,218 to #18,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Zepp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zepp, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Zepp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (1,378 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zepp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Zepp (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 Zepp mean?
A occupational surname derived from the German word "Ziep" meaning jar or pot. 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 Zepp (0.48 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 Zepp?
See how many people have the last name Zepp on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.