2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zigich
A surname possibly derived from a Slavic root suggesting a person living in a remote or isolated location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Zigich. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zigich 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Zigich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zigich, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zigich
The surname Zigich finds its origins in the Slavic regions of Southeastern Europe, particularly within the boundaries of modern-day Serbia. Emerging in the medieval period, the name Zigich is derived from a patronymic origin. In Slavic cultures, surnames often evolved from the given names of male ancestors, with suffixes like "ich," "ic," or "vich" denoting "son of" or "descendant of." The root "Ziga" could be an abbreviated form of more traditional Slavic names like Zivko or Zivan. The suffix "ich" was added to indicate lineage, leading to the creation of the surname Zigich.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Zigich can be traced back to church and municipal records in Serbia from the 15th and 16th centuries. This suggests that the family bearing this name had become sufficiently established to be documented in official records. Serbia, undergoing numerous changes in political control and societal structure during this period, provides a dynamic backdrop against which the surname Zigich rose to prominence within certain communities.
Historical references to the surname Zigich appear sporadically in various records, such as military records, property documents, and parish registers. For example, a notable early mention involves a recorded baptism in a Serbian Orthodox church event from the late 1500s, documenting a "Marko Zigich" as the father of a newborn child.
By the mid-19th century, members of the Zigich family started to become more widely recognized. Noteworthy individuals include Petar Zigich (1832-1888), who was a prominent merchant and community leader in his hometown in Vojvodina, Serbia. His involvement in local trade significantly impacted the regional economy at the time.
Another significant figure was Milica Zigich (1856-1915), who is remembered for her contributions to Serbian literature. Her poetry and writings in the late 19th century highlighted the cultural and societal changes happening in Serbia, marking her as a key cultural influencer in her era.
The 20th century saw the name Zigich appearing in more diverse contexts. Gavrilo Zigich (1890-1943) was a noted figure in the early part of the century, known for his participation in the Balkan Wars and later during World War I. His military service brought the surname Zigich into broader historical narratives of the period.
Moving further into the century, Branko Zigich (1925-1982) emerged as an influential painter whose art contributed considerably to the modern art movements in Yugoslavia. His works are still celebrated today for their unique style and cultural significance.
As the surname Zigich continued to be passed through generations, it became associated with a variety of professions and interests, highlighting the diverse paths taken by those who bore it. Despite evolving socio-political contexts and geographical dispersal, the name has retained its recognition and continues to echo the rich cultural legacy of its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zigich
Among Census respondents with the surname Zigich, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zigich 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 Zigich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.5% · 86
- Two or more races11.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zigich
Zigich 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+13 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,658 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-18 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 2,658 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 17,286 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 Zigich 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 | #131,379 | #148,665 | -13.2% |
| Count | 129 | 111 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zigich bearers went from 129 to 111 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 17,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #148,665.
FAQ
Zigich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zigich?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Zigich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Zigich?
Zigich ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Zigich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Zigich.
Has Zigich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zigich went from 129 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Zigich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zigich, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Zigich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zigich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.5%), Two or More Races (11.7%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Zigich (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 Zigich mean?
A surname possibly derived from a Slavic root suggesting a person living in a remote or isolated location. 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 Zigich (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 share the surname Zigich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.