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

Ziff, 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 Ziff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ziff in America

Ziff is the 40800th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ziff surname appeared 535 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 Ziff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ziff 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 Ziff

The surname Ziff is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within Jewish communities in regions that are now part of Poland and Ukraine. Its earliest usage can be traced back to the Ashkenazi Jews, whose naming conventions often derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or places of origin. Ziff is thought to be derived from the Yiddish word "zif," meaning "splendor" or "brightness." This could imply that the original bearers of the name were associated with someone of notable beauty or charm.

The name Ziff appears in various historical records and old manuscripts. Some of the earliest written evidence of the surname dates back to the early 18th century in Jewish community records. In these documents, the name often appears with slight variations in spelling, reflecting different phonetic interpretations. Examples include Ziv, Ziff, and Tziv, among others.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Rabbi Moshe Ziff, born around 1720 in Poland. He was known for his contributions to Jewish religious scholarship in the region. Another notable historical figure is Jacob Ziff, a merchant who lived in the early 19th century in Odessa, a major port city in modern-day Ukraine.

As Jewish people migrated due to persecution or economic opportunities, the surname Ziff reached other parts of the world, including Western Europe and North America. David Ziff, born in 1835, was an influential businessman who immigrated to the United States during the latter half of the 19th century. He established various enterprises and became well-known in New York City.

In the realm of arts and academia, another prominent figure is Reuben Ziff, a painter and art teacher born in 1890 in Vienna. He contributed significantly to the Jewish art scene in Europe before migrating to Palestine in the 1930s, where he continued his work until his death in 1960.

A more recent historical figure is Bernard Ziff, born in 1905, who made significant contributions to the field of journalism. He was the editor of a notable Jewish newspaper in Chicago and played a crucial role in documenting Jewish immigrant experiences in the United States until his death in 1978.

Throughout history, the surname Ziff has been borne by individuals who contributed richly to their communities in various regions and fields. Its presence in historical records highlights the adaptability and resilience of Jewish families, maintaining their identity and legacy through generations. The surname Ziff, with its roots in the Yiddish term for splendor, carries a legacy of brightness and distinction that has been evident in the lives of its bearers through time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ziff

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

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

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

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