2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zicafoose
Of German origin, indicating someone who lived near a ravine or mountain valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Zicafoose. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zicafoose 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Zicafoose in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zicafoose, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zicafoose
The surname Zicafoose has its origins in Central Europe, specifically within the regions that are now parts of Germany and the Netherlands. The name dates back to the medieval period, around the 14th and 15th centuries. It is believed to have originated from German dialects, with possible connections to Dutch linguistic elements as well. The areas where this name was originally found include parts of the Rhineland and the Low Countries.
The name Zicafoose seems to be derived from older Germanic words, potentially related to personal characteristics or occupations. The suffix "foose" could be traced to the Middle High German word "fuss" (foot), indicating a person who had something to do with feet, potentially a cobbler or someone who traveled extensively by foot. Alternatively, it might be a corruption of another occupational name or geographical descriptor lost in the annals of time.
Early historical references to names resembling Zicafoose include manuscripts and town records from the Rhineland. For instance, a Johannes Zicafus is noted to have lived in the Cologne area in 1463. Another example includes a Margareta Zicavus listed in the land tax records of the Duchy of Brabant in 1505. These early documents show the gradual standardization of spelling that led to the modern form of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded examples is a Heinrich Zikafoos, recorded in a municipal ledger from Frankfurt in 1532. Heinrich was known to have been a merchant involved in the wool trade, signaling the name's association with business and trade during this era. As time progressed, the name appeared in various forms in parish registers and local censuses.
A notable person with the surname is Wilhelm Zicafoose (born 1598, died 1674), who was a minor yet influential scribe in the town of Mainz. His meticulous records have been preserved in the town’s archives, showing the development of surnames in the region. Another historical figure is Anna Zicafoose, who emigrated to the American colonies in 1742 and settled in Pennsylvania, contributing to the name's spread across the Atlantic.
Additional examples include Jurgen Zicafos, who was a participant in the 1618 Defenestration of Prague, an event that sparked the Thirty Years' War. His involvement highlights the name's presence in significant historical events. Later, in the 19th century, Ludwig Zicafoose, born in 1837 and a respected blacksmith in Bavaria, stands as another notable person. Finally, the poet Elise Zicafoose, born in 1872, whose works were known in the literary circles of early 20th-century Germany.
The surname Zicafoose, through its various historical records and slight variations in spelling, traces a rich lineage from medieval European origins to broader recognition, carrying with it stories of tradespeople, emigrants, and even participants in historical events.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zicafoose
Among Census respondents with the surname Zicafoose, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zicafoose 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 Zicafoose surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zicafoose
Zicafoose 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,490 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 8,490 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 Zicafoose 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 | #143,149 | #151,639 | -5.9% |
| Count | 116 | 107 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zicafoose bearers went from 116 to 107 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 8,490 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #151,639.
FAQ
Zicafoose surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zicafoose?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Zicafoose. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Zicafoose?
Zicafoose ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Zicafoose. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Zicafoose.
Has Zicafoose become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zicafoose went from 116 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Zicafoose?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zicafoose, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Zicafoose in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zicafoose appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Zicafoose (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 Zicafoose mean?
Of German origin, indicating someone who lived near a ravine or mountain valley. 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 Zicafoose (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 are called Zicafoose?
See how many people have the last name Zicafoose on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.