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

Zettlemoyer, 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 Zettlemoyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zettlemoyer in America

Zettlemoyer is the 31482nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zettlemoyer surname appeared 735 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 Zettlemoyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zettlemoyer 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 Zettlemoyer

The surname Zettlemoyer has its roots in Germanic origins, primarily from the regions that now comprise modern-day Germany. Historically, it is believed that the name originated in the Rhineland-Palatinate area during the late medieval period, around the 15th or 16th centuries.

Zettlemoyer is thought to be a variant of the name Zettelmacher, which itself is derived from the Middle High German word "zettel," meaning a piece of paper or note, and "macher," meaning maker. This suggests that the surname originally referred to someone who made or sold paper, a profession of notable importance during the era of emerging literacy and the spread of written communication in Europe.

The name appears in old records in various spellings, including Zettelmacher, Zettler, and Zettel. One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar name is found in a 1527 tax record in the Bavarian region, detailing a Hans Zettelmacher, who was noted for his work in the local paper-making industry.

In 1623, a church record in the town of Mainz mentioned a Johann Zettler, who may be an ancestor or a variation of the name Zettlemoyer. The meticulous record-keeping of ecclesiastical authorities during this time provides valuable insight into the distribution and evolution of surnames within Germany.

During the 18th century, as part of larger waves of German immigration to North America, people bearing the surname Zettlemoyer began to appear in historical records in Pennsylvania, particularly among the Pennsylvania Dutch community. One notable individual, Heinrich Zettlemoyer (born 1753, died 1820), is recorded in church registers as having settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he became a prosperous farmer.

The 19th century saw the continued presence of the Zettlemoyer name in American records. One significant figure was Frederick Zettlemoyer (1821-1902), who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Legislature. His legislative contributions are well-documented in the annals of Pennsylvania's political history.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Zettlemoyer surname had firmly established itself in various parts of the United States. Emma Zettlemoyer (1875-1960) was an early advocate for women's suffrage in the state of Illinois, contributing to the movement that ultimately led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Though less commonly found in contemporary records, the Zettlemoyer surname remains a fascinating example of how occupational surnames can evolve and persist through centuries, reflecting the social and economic changes of the world around them.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zettlemoyer

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

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

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

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