2000
#85,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Zeuner
A German surname derived from a personal characteristic or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 210 Americans carry the last name Zeuner. That puts it at #104,276 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,632,164 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeuner 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
210
1 in 1,632,164
Census rank
#104,276
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
183
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 183 bearers of the surname Zeuner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 104276th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeuner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeuner
The surname Zeuner has its origins in Germany. It is thought to have originated during the medieval period, likely around the 12th or 13th century. The name is primarily associated with regions that are now modern-day Germany and has been documented in various areas including Saxony, Bavaria, and Thuringia.
Etymologically, the name Zeuner is derived from the Middle High German word 'ziūnære', which means hedger or fencer. This references someone who constructed or maintained fences or hedges. Similar spellings and variations of the name have also been recorded, such as Zäuner and Cyoner, which reflect the regional dialects and orthographic standards of the time.
Historical records featuring the surname date back to medieval manuscripts and registries. Although no mention of Zeuner appears in English records such as the Domesday Book, German archives from the 14th century include references to bearers of the surname. Town registries and church records from the 15th and 16th centuries frequently recorded the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in 1347, where a Johann Zeuner is mentioned in the town records of Leipzig. Another early record includes a Michael Zeuner, a resident of Nuremberg, who is listed in a 1453 tax roll. Throughout the 16th century, the name appears in various civic documents, indicating its spread across different German regions.
In historical contexts, the name Zeuner has also been borne by several notable individuals. Johann Karl Friedrich Zeuner (1733-1798) was a celebrated German mathematician, known for his contributions to the field of probability theory. Another famous Zeuner, Gustav Zeuner (1828-1907), was an engineer and physicist recognized for his work in thermodynamics and the establishment of the Zeuner diagram for steam engines. He was influential in both academic and industrial circles and helped to shape engineering education.
Additionally, Karl Septimus Zeuner (1836-1906) was a noted German author and historian, known for his exploration of medieval Germanic history and his extensive scholarly works. Hermann Zeuner (1854-1903) gained prominence as an architect, contributing significantly to urban planning in Dresden. Lastly, Heinrich Zeuner (1880-1947) was a German botanist who made considerable strides in the study of plant taxonomy and ecology.
The surname Zeuner reveals a rich tapestry of medieval origins and diverse contributions to various fields. From artisans of the Middle Ages to modern academics, this surname has a distinct and storied presence in German history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeuner
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeuner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeuner 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 Zeuner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 6
- Two or more races2.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeuner
Zeuner 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
#90,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 205
+1 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 4,816 places
2020
#104,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
-22 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 14,163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,297 | 204 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,113 | 205 | 0.07 | +1 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 4,816 places |
| 2020 | #104,276 | 183 | 0.06 | -22 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 14,163 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 Zeuner 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 | #90,113 | #104,276 | -15.7% |
| Count | 205 | 183 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeuner bearers went from 205 to 183 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 14,163 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,113 to #104,276.
FAQ
Zeuner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeuner?
Name Census estimates that about 210 living Americans carry the surname Zeuner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,632,164 residents.
How common is Zeuner?
Zeuner ranks #104,276 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 183 people with the surname Zeuner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (210), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Zeuner.
Has Zeuner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeuner went from 205 recorded bearers to 183. That is a decrease of 22 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #90,113 to #104,276.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeuner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeuner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Zeuner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeuner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Zeuner (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 Zeuner mean?
A German surname derived from a personal characteristic or occupation. 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 Zeuner (0.06 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 Zeuner?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Zeuner at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.