2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zidell
A surname of Yiddish origin, likely derived from the Hebrew name "Zidkiyah" meaning "righteousness of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Zidell. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zidell 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Zidell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zidell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zidell
The surname Zidell has its origins in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions that were once part of Poland and Lithuania. The name most commonly appears in the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition, and likely dates back to the late medieval period. Eastern European surnames often have roots in trades, personal characteristics, or geographic locations, and Zidell follows this tradition.
The surname Zidell is believed to be a variation of the Yiddish surname Tzidel or Tzidl, which itself could be an occupational name related to the wool trade. The word "tzid", found in some Yiddish dialects, is connected to the old German word "Ziedel", which means "a small measure of liquid or wool". This etymological link suggests that bearers of the surname could have been associated with the textile industry or wool merchants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname dates back to the 17th century in the city of Vilnius, then part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During this time, records show a Yosef Zidell, a wool merchant known within the local Jewish community. This reference indicates the surname's connection to the wool trade, affirming the etymological hypothesis.
Another notable mention is found in 18th century Prussia, where a Rabbi named Samuel Zidell was documented. Born in 1692 and passing in 1765, Rabbi Samuel Zidell made contributions to local scholarship and left behind writings that continue to be studied within Jewish theological circles.
In the early 19th century, a prominent figure named Moishe Zidell emerged in Warsaw, Poland. Born in 1803, Moishe was a staple of the city's growing merchant class, specifically known for dealing in fabrics and textiles. His role in the economic and social life of Warsaw's Jewish quarter is well-documented in trade records of the time.
Another historical figure bearing the surname Zidell is Miriam Zidell, a poet from Odessa. Born in 1874, Miriam's works often reflected the socio-political changes impacting Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Her poetry, lauded for its lyrical quality and depth, offers an emotional chronicle of her era.
During the 20th century, Nathan Zidell gained recognition in the United States. Born in 1901, Nathan immigrated from Eastern Europe to New York in the early 1920s. He became a noteworthy figure in the garment industry, carrying on the textile connection of his forebears. His entrepreneurship and philanthropic efforts left a lasting mark within the Jewish American community.
Throughout its history, the surname Zidell has been associated with trade, particularly in textiles, and has appeared in various forms across Eastern Europe. From merchants and rabbis to poets and entrepreneurs, the Zidell name encapsulates a rich cultural and occupational heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zidell
Among Census respondents with the surname Zidell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zidell 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 Zidell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zidell
Zidell 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+23 bearers (+22.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,963 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,447 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +23 bearers (+22.1%) | Up 12,963 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 13,447 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 Zidell 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 | #133,048 | #146,495 | -10.1% |
| Count | 127 | 114 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zidell bearers went from 127 to 114 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 13,447 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #146,495.
FAQ
Zidell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zidell?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Zidell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Zidell?
Zidell ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Zidell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Zidell.
Has Zidell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zidell went from 127 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Zidell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zidell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Zidell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zidell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Zidell (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 Zidell mean?
A surname of Yiddish origin, likely derived from the Hebrew name "Zidkiyah" meaning "righteousness of God." 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 Zidell (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 have the surname Zidell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.