2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zilko
A surname of Slavic origin, potentially derived from a diminutive form of a name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Zilko. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zilko 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Zilko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zilko, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zilko
The surname Zilko has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions that are now Poland and Germany. Its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Slavic word "zilk," which was a diminutive form of names beginning with "Zil" or "Zil-" and often connoted a small, slender or agile person.
In Poland, surnames often evolved with the influence of various dialects and regional linguistic peculiarities. Early records from Silesia, a region straddling modern-day Poland and Germany, show variants like Zilk and Zilsko. The surname Zilko itself appears in church and municipal records from the 15th century, demonstrating its established presence in the region.
One notable historical reference includes a Zilko who was mentioned in the town records of Wrocław (formerly Breslau) in the late 1500s. These records, though not exceedingly detailed, indicate that members of the Zilko family were involved in local trade and community affairs, showcasing their integration into urban society.
In the 17th century, Mikolaj Zilko, born in 1632 in what is now southwestern Poland, became a well-regarded figure in the region. He served as a town councilman and was known for his efforts in rebuilding local infrastructure following the Thirty Years' War. His contributions are noted in several local historical materials.
By the 18th century, the surname had found its way into contemporary accounts, with Maria Zilko being recorded as a benefactor to religious institutions in the late 1700s. Born in 1745, Maria's philanthropic efforts highlight the family's increasing social footprint.
Among the notable bearers of the name in the 19th century, Jan Zilko, born in 1821, achieved prominence as a composer and musician in Prussian-controlled Upper Silesia. His compositions, particularly those reflecting the folk traditions of his homeland, have been preserved in various musical archives.
Moving into the 20th century, Stefan Zilko, an influential Polish diplomat born in 1901, played a crucial role in post-World War II reconstruction efforts. His diplomatic missions are recorded in various governmental records, cementing the Zilko name in modern historical contexts.
Throughout its history, the surname Zilko has seen various spellings and forms as it traversed regional borders and adapted to different linguistic environments. From its early roots in Silesian areas to its more established presence in modern historical records, the legacy of the Zilko name is a testament to its enduring presence across centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zilko
Among Census respondents with the surname Zilko, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zilko 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 Zilko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 10
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zilko
Zilko 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,835 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,835 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Zilko 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zilko bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Zilko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zilko?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Zilko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Zilko?
Zilko ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Zilko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Zilko.
Has Zilko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zilko went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Zilko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zilko, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Zilko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zilko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (9.2%), Black (0.9%). 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 Zilko (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 Zilko mean?
A surname of Slavic origin, potentially derived from a diminutive form of a name. 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 Zilko (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 are called Zilko?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Zilko, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.