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

Zesiger, 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 Zesiger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zesiger in America

Zesiger is the 71265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zesiger surname appeared 274 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 Zesiger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zesiger 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 Zesiger

The surname Zesiger originates from Switzerland, a country with a rich tapestry of linguistic influences including German, French, and Italian. The Swiss-German regions are where the name Zesiger is predominantly found, dating back to the medieval era. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "tsesegaere," meaning a herbalist or someone who deals with medicinal plants. This points towards a historical occupation-based surname, suggesting that early bearers of the surname were likely involved in herbal medicine or pharmacy.

Zesiger is similar to other occupational surnames, which were quite common in the medieval period as they often indicated the profession of the head of the household. There are records from the 14th and 15th centuries where the names Zesiger, Czesiger, and Zezinger appear in trade documents and local registries. These variants underline the phonetic evolution and regional dialectical influences on the surname.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname in a historical manuscript is from 1423 in the canton of Bern. Hans Zesiger, a noted herbalist, is mentioned in trade lists as providing medicinal herbs to local apothecaries. Another historical figure, Barbara Zesiger (born 1480, died 1554), was documented in Zurich's city records as a midwife and herbal specialist, further confirming the medicinal connection.

In the 16th century, Ulrich Zesiger from Lucerne became somewhat famous for his compilation of herbal remedies, documented in a manuscript now preserved in the Zurich Central Library. This indicates the prominence of certain Zesigers in their fields and their contributions to early medical practices in Switzerland.

The 17th century saw the name appear in military records as Johannes Zesiger (born 1602, died 1678), who served as a captain in the Swiss Guard. This diversification in occupation shows the family’s expansion from their traditional medicinal roots into other societal roles.

By the 18th century, further records from Nidwalden mention Andreas Zesiger (born 1710, died 1782), a notable local official who played a significant role in regional governance. As the surname continued into more modern historical periods, it maintained its unique Swiss identity, with descendants of these early Zesigers contributing to various professional fields within Switzerland.

Throughout history, the surname Zesiger has been marked by individuals contributing significantly to their professions and communities, underlying the importance of this family name in Swiss heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zesiger

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

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

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

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