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

Zich, 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 Zich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zich in America

Zich is the 52037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zich surname appeared 399 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 Zich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zich 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 Zich

The surname Zich has its origins in medieval Europe, particularly within the German-speaking regions. The name first made its appearance in the regions of modern-day Germany and the Czech Republic, around the 11th to 13th centuries. It is believed to be derived from a shortened form of a Germanic personal name such as Zigfried, where ‘zig’ means victory in Old High German. This derivation hints at the name's roots in the warrior culture of medieval European societies.

Historical references to the name Zich can be found in records from the Holy Roman Empire. One of the earliest documented instances is in a 13th-century manuscript, which lists a Heinrich Zich as a landowner in what is now Bavaria. The name also appears in parochial records from the same period, indicating the family's involvement in local ecclesiastical matters. Variations in the spelling such as Zych, Zichy, and Tzich are noted in these early documents, pointing to the name's phonological evolution and regional adaptations.

The surname saw prominence during the 15th century with Johann Zich, a notable miner who contributed to the flourishing mining industry in the Harz mountain region of Germany. His contributions were significant enough to be recorded in regional economic histories. Another early bearer of the surname was Anna Zich, a midwife from Prague, known from municipal records dating back to 1450, reflecting the name's spread into the Czech lands.

In the 16th century, the Zich name gained scholarly recognition through Sigmund Zich, an academic at the University of Heidelberg. Sigmund’s birth in 1523 and death in 1589 are documented in university records, where he is noted for his contributions to the field of natural philosophy. His work left an intellectual legacy that was referenced in subsequent scholarly works.

The name continued to appear in various forms and locations through the centuries. For instance, Maria Zich, born in 1721 in Vienna, gained notoriety as an early supporter of the arts, patronizing young musicians and composers. Her influence is noted in correspondence from prominent figures in the artistic world of the time. Another mentionable individual is Felix Zich, who served as a military officer in the Austro-Hungarian army during the late 18th century. His service records, dating from 1765 to his death in 1801, highlight his distinguished career.

Throughout history, the surname Zich has appeared in various records and across different regions, indicating its widespread use and adaptation over time. Its bearers have contributed to various fields, including academia, military, and the arts, leaving a lasting impact on European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zich

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!