2000
#13,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,090
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Zigler
A German occupational surname referring to a brick maker, tile maker, or roof tiler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,245 Americans carry the last name Zigler. That puts it at #14,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,675 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zigler 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
2.2K
1 in 152,675
Census rank
#14,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,958 bearers of the surname Zigler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zigler
The surname Zigler is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages in the 14th century. It was initially derived from the Middle High German word "zigler," which referred to a brickmaker or a tile maker. This occupational surname was given to individuals who were involved in the trade of making bricks, tiles, or pottery.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Zigler can be found in historical documents from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany. One notable mention is in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493, which lists a Hans Zigler among the citizens of the city.
During the 16th century, the surname Zigler began to spread across various parts of Germany and neighboring regions. In the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a record from 1564 mentions a Konrad Zigler, a respected brickmaker and citizen.
As people migrated and settled in different areas, the spelling of the surname underwent slight variations, such as Ziegler, Zigler, and Ziegeler. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Zigler was Hans Zigler (1495-1570), a German painter and wood carver from Nuremberg, known for his intricate works in churches and public buildings.
In the 17th century, a notable figure was Johann Zigler (1615-1688), a German theologian and author from Saxony, who wrote several influential treatises on theology and philosophy.
The 18th century saw the rise of Johann Friedrich Zigler (1737-1802), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to celestial mechanics and the study of comets.
In the 19th century, the surname Zigler gained prominence with the birth of Johann Zigler (1811-1890), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Zigler Brewing Company in Philadelphia, one of the largest breweries in the United States at the time.
Another notable individual was Friedrich Wilhelm Zigler (1828-1899), a German architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings and city plans across Germany, including the Reichstag building in Berlin.
As the centuries progressed, the Zigler surname continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. While its roots can be traced back to the occupation of brickmaking in medieval Germany, the name has since become a part of the rich tapestry of surnames found in various cultures and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zigler
Among Census respondents with the surname Zigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zigler 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 Zigler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 1,523
- Black or African American12.5% · 245
- Two or more races4.9% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zigler
Zigler 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
#14,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,019
-71 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,346 places
2020
#14,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,958
-61 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,367 | 2,090 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,713 | 2,019 | 0.68 | -71 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 1,346 places |
| 2020 | #14,606 | 1,958 | 0.66 | -61 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 107 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 Zigler 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 | #14,713 | #14,606 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,019 | 1,958 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.66 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zigler bearers went from 2,019 to 1,958 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,713 to #14,606.
FAQ
Zigler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zigler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,245 living Americans carry the surname Zigler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,675 residents.
How common is Zigler?
Zigler ranks #14,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,958 people with the surname Zigler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zigler.
Has Zigler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zigler went from 2,019 recorded bearers to 1,958. That is a decrease of 61 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,713 to #14,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Zigler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Zigler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (1,523 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zigler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Zigler (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 Zigler mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a brick maker, tile maker, or roof tiler. 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 Zigler (0.66 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 Zigler?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Zigler at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.