2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zieroff
Of German origin, meaning "ornament" or "adornment".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Zieroff. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zieroff 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Zieroff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zieroff, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zieroff
The surname Zieroff likely has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions that are now part of modern-day Poland or Germany. The name first appeared around the 16th century and could be traced to regions such as Silesia and Pomerania, where a variety of Germanic and Slavic cultures intermingled. The name may derive from a combination of old Slavic words or Germanic roots that indicate a profession, geographic feature, or personal characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in a 1574 tax registry from Silesia, where a Johan Zieroff is listed as a landowner. This indicates that people bearing this name had established themselves sufficiently to be recorded in official documents. Variations of the surname—such as Ziroff or Ziehroff—appeared in early church and civic records, pointing to the fluid nature of spelling before the standardization of surnames.
Two notable individuals from the 17th century include Wilhelm Zieroff, born in 1610, who served as a municipal judge in Gdańsk, and Apolonia Zieroff, born in 1622, noted for her contributions to local charitable organizations. These records suggest that the Zieroff family was involved in both civic administration and social services, highlighting their integration into community life.
By the 18th century, the Zieroff name appeared in Prussian military records, with Karl Friedrich Zieroff, born in 1746, serving as a captain in the Prussian Army. His distinguished military career led to his inclusion in several military rosters and diaries of the time.
In the early 19th century, Anna Magdalena Zieroff, born in 1803, became known for her work in education. She authored several educational primers and was an advocate for women's schooling in Prussian-occupied territories, contributing to the literacy and education movements of her time.
The surname also found its way into the records of British and American immigration ports during the late 19th century, suggesting that bearers of the name sought new opportunities in the Western Hemisphere. While comprehensive genealogical records from this time are limited, it is inferred that the Zieroff family continued to grow and spread, adapting to new countries and cultures.
In summary, the surname Zieroff is deeply rooted in the cultural and historical tapestry of Eastern Europe, with its earliest instances appearing in Silesia and Pomerania. Historical records reveal individuals bearing the name engaged in diverse roles such as landownership, civic duties, military service, and educational reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zieroff
Among Census respondents with the surname Zieroff, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zieroff 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 Zieroff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 85
- Two or more races12.3% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zieroff
Zieroff appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 2,568 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 Zieroff 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 | #154,907 | #152,339 | 1.7% |
| Count | 105 | 106 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zieroff bearers went from 105 to 106 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 2,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,339.
FAQ
Zieroff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zieroff?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Zieroff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Zieroff?
Zieroff ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Zieroff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Zieroff.
Has Zieroff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zieroff went from 105 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Zieroff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zieroff, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Zieroff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zieroff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Two or More Races (12.3%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Zieroff (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 Zieroff mean?
Of German origin, meaning "ornament" or "adornment". 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 Zieroff (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 last name Zieroff?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Zieroff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.