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

Zigan, 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 Zigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zigan in America

Zigan is the 68547th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zigan surname appeared 287 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 Zigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zigan 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 Zigan

The surname Zigan finds its origins in Germany, particularly in the northern and eastern regions of the country. Dating back to medieval times, it is believed to derive from the Slavic word cigan, meaning gypsy. The name likely emerged as a descriptor for individuals who were itinerant or had associations with the Romani people. This etymological connection places the surname in the cultural and linguistic context of regions where Germanic and Slavic populations intermingled.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Zigan can be traced to church registers and legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. These records predominantly appear in areas that are now parts of modern-day Poland, Russia, and Germany, reflecting the historical movements and settlements of people across these regions. Old spellings of the name, including Zygan and Czigan, show its adaptability to various linguistic influences and orthographic conventions over the centuries.

In historical documents from the 1600s, a certain Heinrich Zigan is mentioned as a landowner in East Prussia, now Kaliningrad Oblast. Born in 1605 and passing in 1674, Heinrich's activities and holdings are well-documented in local archives. Another noteworthy individual is Katarina Zigan, who was born in 1709 in what is today known as Pomerania, Poland. Katarina's marriage and subsequent family connections appear in several genealogical registers dating from the early 18th century.

In the latter part of the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Zigan, born in 1763 in Saxony, gained recognition for his work as a silver artisan. His pieces are collected in regional museums, and records from various guilds highlight his contributions and craftsmanship until his death in 1824. Another individual of historical note is Anna Zigan, a notable midwife in Silesia during the early 19th century. Born in 1795, her practices and techniques were documented in medical records and correspondences with emerging medical institutions until her passing in 1859.

One of the more prominent figures in the history of the surname is Rudolf Zigan, a 19th-century military officer from Bavaria. Born in 1834, Rudolf's career in the Bavarian army is recorded in military dispatches and service records. His involvement in the Austro-Prussian War and subsequent military campaigns provided a rich source of historical documentation until his death in 1892.

Through these historical figures and documents, the surname Zigan illustrates a tapestry of cultural, professional, and social contributions across centuries. The various spellings, regional influences, and notable individuals associated with the name provide a meaningful insight into its rich historical tapestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zigan

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

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

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

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