2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zernick
A surname denoting someone from Zernitz, an area near Bautzen, Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Zernick. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zernick 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Zernick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zernick, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zernick
The surname Zernick finds its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions historically known as Galicia, which included parts of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. The name dates back to at least the 15th or 16th century. Migration patterns and territorial changes over centuries have influenced the distribution and evolution of the name.
Zernick is derived from the Slavic root word zern, which means grain or seed. This connection suggests that the name could have originally been occupational, indicating a family involved in agriculture or grain trading. Similar surnames such as Zerneke and Zernikow appear in various historical records in Germany and Poland, suggesting a shared etymological origin.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Zernick can be traced back to the 16th century in the records of a small town in Galicia. Manuscripts from the time mention a Johannes Zernick, a grain merchant who was active in the 1580s. His involvement in the local grain trade could be a key reason the name was associated with seeds and agriculture.
Historical records from the 17th century include references to a Mr. Friedrich Zernick, born in 1621 and a resident of what is now southern Poland. He is noted in church records for his contributions to local grain storage solutions, expanding not just his business but also the local economy.
In the 18th century, the name appears again in the person of Marcin Zernick, born in 1725. Marcin lived in what is now Western Ukraine and was reputed as a mid-level landowner who managed several farms. His prominence in local histories highlights the agricultural ties of the surname.
Another notable Zernick from history is Elzbieta Zernick, born in 1799 in Krakow, Poland. She was recognized for her philanthropic efforts, especially in improving farming techniques and providing seeds to poorer farmers in the region.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname appears in Prussian records, with a Ludwig Zernick, born in 1843, being a notable figure. An industrious man, Ludwig is remembered for modernizing farming techniques, bridging traditional methods with new agricultural machinery.
Throughout history, the surname Zernick has been closely associated with agriculture and grain trade, reflecting its etymological roots. The documented instances of individuals with this surname not only provide a glimpse into the surname's origin but also highlight its cultural and economic significance in Eastern European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zernick
Among Census respondents with the surname Zernick, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zernick 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 Zernick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zernick
Zernick appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Zernick 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zernick bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Zernick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zernick?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Zernick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Zernick?
Zernick ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Zernick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Zernick.
Has Zernick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zernick went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Zernick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zernick, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Zernick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zernick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Zernick (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 Zernick mean?
A surname denoting someone from Zernitz, an area near Bautzen, Germany. 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 Zernick (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 many people have the surname Zernick?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.