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

Zeto, 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 Zeto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zeto in America

Zeto is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zeto surname appeared 193 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 Zeto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zeto 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 Zeto

The surname Zeto finds its origins primarily in the region of Southern Europe, particularly in Italy. The name likely surfaced during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, when surnames began to formalize. Prominent in areas such as Sicily and the southern mainland, it may have also had influences and exchanges with Greek or Byzantine cultures due to historical interactions in these regions.

Etymologically, Zeto might derive from a diminutive or patronymic form rooted in old Italian or Greek terminologies, possibly related to the personal name Zeto, which was in rare but occasional use. Early documentary references are scant, yet the name appears in a few land records and local agreements from the 14th and 15th centuries. These early records, although fragmented, point towards the name's noble or merchant-class origins.

An example of such a record includes the Venetian maritime documents where the name Zeto is believed to have appeared in the 1480s. The name was also seen in transactional manuscripts of the Kingdom of Sicily, cementing its early presence in Southern Italy. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Giovanni Zeto, a merchant born around 1500, who had trade dealings documented with Genoa and Venice.

Place names associated with Zeto appear less frequently, but certain locales such as small hamlets or districts in Calabria and Sicily might have further cemented the surname's use over time. Alternate spellings, including Zetto and Zeti, were occasionally noted, indicating regional variations in naming conventions.

Throughout history, several notable figures bore the surname Zeto. Paolo Zeto, a noted figure in the 17th century born circa 1630, was an acclaimed architect whose works contributed significantly to Baroque structures in Calabria. Another prominent individual was Maria Zeto, who lived between 1785 and 1840; she was a renowned poet whose works reflected the cultural milieu of her time.

In the 19th century, Vincenzo Zeto (1802-1864) stood out as a political figure during the Italian unification, playing a critical role in local governance in Naples. Additionally, Carlo Zeto, born in 1891, became a recognized name in the world of classical music composition in early 20th-century Italy, contributing to the rich cultural fabric of his time.

Another crucial historical figure is Luigi Zeto, who was a scholar and historian in the early 18th century. His contributions to documenting early Italian history and literature remain significant. The Zeto surname, while not widespread, maintains its historical roots and associations with cultural and intellectual landmarks across several centuries in Southern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zeto

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

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

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

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