2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zieroth
A surname referring to someone who was ornamental or decorative.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Zieroth. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zieroth 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Zieroth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zieroth, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zieroth
The surname Zieroth has its origins in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly within areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Poland. The name seems to have a Slavic or Germanic root, indicative of the linguistic and cultural intersections in those regions during the Middle Ages. The earliest references to the surname appear to be from the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th centuries. It is likely derived from a toponym or a personal name that was itself derived from an old Slavic or Germanic word. One hypothesis suggests that it may have derived from a now-obsolete Slavic word akin to “šer” or “zir,” implying a lookout or observation point, which was a common feature in the hilly terrains of Central Europe.
Old documents and historical records occasionally present variations of the name, such as Zirath or Zierath, indicating regional dialectical influences and the fluid orthography common before spelling conventions were standardized. An early recorded example of the name can be found in a 16th-century registry from what is now Saxony-Anhalt, where a Johan Zieroth is mentioned as a landholder. This reference suggests a status of considerable standing within the local community.
Historical references to the surname include an individual named Martin Zieroth, a 17th-century merchant from the Baltic coast, which at the time was a bustling zone of trade and cultural exchanges between the Germanic and Slavic peoples. Another noteworthy figure is Elisabeth Zieroth, born in 1732 in Pomerania, who was one of the recorded witnesses in several legal documents related to land disputes in the region. This implies the name was associated with individuals who were significant enough to be involved in legal proceedings.
Further into the 18th century, a Christian Zieroth appears in records from Silesia, born in 1765, who was known for his role in the local administration, possibly a precursor to modern civil service roles. By the 19th century, the name had spread further and a Friedrich Zieroth, born in 1810 in what is present-day Poland, became known for his contributions to agricultural practices, reflecting a shift from purely feudal societal structures to more modern forms of community organization and leadership.
In the 20th century, Wilhelm Zieroth, born in 1882 in East Prussia, was noted for his involvement in early 20th-century labor movements, showcasing how the bearers of the name adapted to and impacted the rapidly changing socio-economic landscapes before the world wars. Through these historical snapshots, the surname Zieroth demonstrates a rich tapestry of regional occupation, social standing, and evolving cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zieroth
Among Census respondents with the surname Zieroth, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zieroth 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 Zieroth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 88
- Two or more races11.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zieroth
Zieroth 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,525 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,525 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 179 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 Zieroth 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 | #153,769 | #153,590 | 0.1% |
| Count | 106 | 104 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zieroth bearers went from 106 to 104 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,590.
FAQ
Zieroth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zieroth?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Zieroth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Zieroth?
Zieroth ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Zieroth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Zieroth.
Has Zieroth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zieroth went from 106 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Zieroth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zieroth, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%). 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 Zieroth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zieroth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Two or More Races (11.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%). 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 Zieroth (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 Zieroth mean?
A surname referring to someone who was ornamental or decorative. 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 Zieroth (0.03 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 common is the surname Zieroth?
Find out how many people are called Zieroth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.