2000
#49,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 397
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Zilberman
Jewish surname derived from German for "silverman", referring to an occupation dealing with silver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 577 Americans carry the last name Zilberman. That puts it at #45,763 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 594,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zilberman 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
577
1 in 594,028
Census rank
#45,763
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
503
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 503 bearers of the surname Zilberman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45763rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zilberman, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zilberman
The surname Zilberman has its origins in the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. The name is derived from the Yiddish word zilber, meaning "silver," and the German word mann, meaning "man." This surname was often adopted by individuals or families involved in silver work, such as silversmiths or traders of silver.
The earliest usage of this surname can be traced back to regions such as Poland, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine during the late Middle Ages. The Jewish communities in these areas spoke Yiddish, a High German-derived language with a significant influence from Hebrew and Slavic languages, which played a crucial role in the formation of surnames like Zilberman.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Zilberman is found in a 17th century record from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where a silversmith named Abraham Zilberman was mentioned. This suggests that even at that time, the name was already associated with the profession of working with silver.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, many Jewish families bearing the surname Zilberman migrated westward to escape persecution and pogroms. During this period, notable individuals with the surname began to emerge. One such figure was Yosef Zilberman (1780-1852), a prominent banker and philanthropist in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Another significant person was Moische Zilberman (1825-1893), a writer and scholar who contributed to the development of Jewish literature in the Russian Empire. His works often explored the themes of Jewish identity and culture, reflecting the struggles and aspirations of his community.
In the early 20th century, the surname Zilberman spread further due to waves of emigration prompted by wars and revolutions. Among the emigrants was Solomon Zilberman (1888-1956), who settled in the United States and became a respected physician and community leader in New York City, known for his efforts in improving public health services for immigrant populations.
Rivka Zilberman (1910-1975), a Holocaust survivor and educator, is another notable individual bearing the surname. After World War II, she dedicated her life to teaching about the atrocities of the Holocaust and worked tirelessly to preserve the memory and lessons of that dark chapter in history.
Lastly, Ladislaus Zilberman (1921-1986), a mathematician of Hungarian descent, made significant contributions to the field of abstract algebra. His work is still referenced in academic circles, and his legacy continues through the numerous students he mentored during his tenure as a professor.
The surname Zilberman encapsulates a rich history of craftsmanship, intellectual pursuit, and resilience, rooted in the Jewish experience of Eastern Europe and carried through generations across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zilberman
Among Census respondents with the surname Zilberman, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zilberman 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 Zilberman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 488
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- Two or more races0.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zilberman
Zilberman 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
#75,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 256
-141 bearers (-35.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 25,646 places
2020
#45,763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 503
+247 bearers (+96.5%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 29,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,671 | 397 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75,317 | 256 | 0.09 | -141 bearers (-35.5%) | Down 25,646 places |
| 2020 | #45,763 | 503 | 0.17 | +247 bearers (+96.5%) | Up 29,554 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 Zilberman 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 | #75,317 | #45,763 | 39.2% |
| Count | 256 | 503 | 96.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.17 | 87.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zilberman bearers went from 256 to 503 (+96.5% change). The surname moved up 29,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #75,317 to #45,763.
FAQ
Zilberman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zilberman?
Name Census estimates that about 577 living Americans carry the surname Zilberman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 594,028 residents.
How common is Zilberman?
Zilberman ranks #45,763 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 503 people with the surname Zilberman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (577), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Zilberman.
Has Zilberman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zilberman went from 256 recorded bearers to 503. That is an increase of 247 (+96.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #75,317 to #45,763.
What does the Census say about the background of Zilberman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zilberman, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Zilberman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (488 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zilberman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (1.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Zilberman (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 Zilberman mean?
Jewish surname derived from German for "silverman", referring to an occupation dealing with silver. 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 Zilberman (0.17 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 Zilberman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.