2000
#10,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,880
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Ziemba
A Polish toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a cold or wintry area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,065 Americans carry the last name Ziemba. That puts it at #11,295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ziemba 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
3.1K
1 in 111,828
Census rank
#11,295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,673 bearers of the surname Ziemba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ziemba, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ziemba
The surname Ziemba originated in Poland, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Polish word "ziemia," meaning "earth" or "land," suggesting a possible connection to agricultural or landowner ancestry.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Ziemba name can be found in the records of the city of Krakow, dating back to the 15th century. These records indicate that individuals bearing this surname were present in the region during that time.
In the 16th century, the Ziemba name appeared in various historical documents, including property records and parish registers, particularly in the areas around Poznan and Kalisz in western Poland. This suggests that the name was well-established in these regions by that point.
A notable individual with the Ziemba surname was Jan Ziemba (1573-1629), a Polish nobleman and landowner who played a prominent role in the local administration of the Kalisz region during the early 17th century.
Another historical figure bearing this name was Stanislaw Ziemba (1648-1712), a Catholic priest and scholar who authored several theological works and served as a professor at the University of Krakow.
In the 19th century, the Ziemba name was found in various records from the Silesian region of Poland, which was then under Prussian rule. Jakub Ziemba (1812-1879), a prominent figure in the Silesian independence movement, hailed from this area.
As the Ziemba surname spread across Poland over the centuries, it also appeared in various place names and toponyms. For example, the village of Ziembakowo in central Poland derives its name from the Ziemba surname, suggesting a historical connection to the area.
Other notable individuals with the Ziemba surname include Wladyslaw Ziemba (1892-1976), a Polish military officer who served in both World Wars, and Michal Ziemba (1971-), a contemporary Polish journalist and author.
While the Ziemba surname remains primarily concentrated in Poland, it has also been carried by Polish immigrants to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and various European countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ziemba
Among Census respondents with the surname Ziemba, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ziemba 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 Ziemba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 2,532
- Two or more races2.4% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ziemba
Ziemba 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
#11,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,821
-59 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 946 places
2020
#11,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,673
-148 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 91 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,258 | 2,880 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,204 | 2,821 | 0.96 | -59 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 946 places |
| 2020 | #11,295 | 2,673 | 0.89 | -148 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 91 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 Ziemba 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 | #11,204 | #11,295 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,821 | 2,673 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.89 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ziemba bearers went from 2,821 to 2,673 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 91 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,204 to #11,295.
FAQ
Ziemba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ziemba?
Name Census estimates that about 3,065 living Americans carry the surname Ziemba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,828 residents.
How common is Ziemba?
Ziemba ranks #11,295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,673 people with the surname Ziemba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ziemba.
Has Ziemba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ziemba went from 2,821 recorded bearers to 2,673. That is a decrease of 148 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,204 to #11,295.
What does the Census say about the background of Ziemba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ziemba, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (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 Ziemba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (2,532 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ziemba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (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 Ziemba (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 Ziemba mean?
A Polish toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a cold or wintry area. 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 Ziemba (0.89 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 Americans have the surname Ziemba?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.