2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zimbalist
A surname derived from German or Yiddish meaning "violet" or "gillyflower."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Zimbalist. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zimbalist 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
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Zimbalist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimbalist, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zimbalist
The surname Zimbalist is believed to have its roots in Eastern Europe, particularly within regions that are now part of Poland and Ukraine. The name likely emerged during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century, when surnames began to be commonly used across Europe as a means of identification and societal organization. Zimbalist can trace its linguistic origins to the Jewish communities in these areas, where Yiddish and Hebrew were prevalent.
The name Zimbalist is derived from the Yiddish word tsimbal, meaning cymbal, a musical instrument. The suffix -ist is a Germanic addition, often used to denote someone who is an adept or specialist in a particular field. Therefore, Zimbalist originally meant "cymbal player" or "someone who makes or plays cymbals." This points to the ancestral profession of the family who first bore the name, likely being musicians or instrument makers.
One of the earliest known records of the name Zimbalist appears in 18th-century Poland, where Jewish communities maintained detailed records. Manuscripts from this period often included names of prominent families involved in cultural and religious activities. However, such documentation was not always preserved, especially during periods of upheaval, making exact early occurrences somewhat rare.
One of the earliest individuals with the surname Zimbalist recorded in more modern history was Nathan Zimbalist (1748–1820), a noted mathematician and scholar within his community in what is now Poland. Bernhard Zimbalist (1819–1874), another notable figure, was a cantor and composer in a Jewish community in what is now western Ukraine. His contributions to religious music were significant during this period.
Moving into the 20th century, Efrem Zimbalist (1889–1985) gained international recognition as a Russian-born American violinist. His exceptional talent brought the Zimbalist name into the realm of classical music prominence. His son, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (1918–2014), would continue the family’s legacy by becoming a well-known American actor, adding a cultural dimension to the surname's historical significance.
Another important figure is Alma Gluck Zimbalist (1884–1938), an American soprano who was married to Efrem Zimbalist. She was one of the most famous opera singers of her time, further etching the Zimbalist name into the annals of musical history. Additionally, the composer and conductor Sergei Zimbalist (1932–2007) continued the tradition of musical excellence associated with the family name.
Throughout history, the surname Zimbalist has been associated with the arts, particularly music, mirroring its etymological roots. The individuals bearing this surname have significantly contributed to cultural and musical traditions, establishing the Zimbalist name as renowned within these spheres.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zimbalist
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimbalist, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zimbalist 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 Zimbalist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 119
- Two or more races2.4% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zimbalist
Zimbalist 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+12 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,292 places
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,292 places |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,336 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 Zimbalist 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 | #136,449 | #139,785 | -2.4% |
| Count | 123 | 123 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zimbalist bearers went from 123 to 123 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #139,785.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Zimbalist
FAQ
Zimbalist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zimbalist?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Zimbalist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Zimbalist?
Zimbalist ranks #139,785 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 123 people with the surname Zimbalist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), 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 Zimbalist.
Has Zimbalist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zimbalist went from 123 recorded bearers to 123. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Zimbalist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimbalist, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) 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 Zimbalist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zimbalist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (2.4%), 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 Zimbalist (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 Zimbalist mean?
A surname derived from German or Yiddish meaning "violet" or "gillyflower." 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 Zimbalist (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 Zimbalist?
Find out how many people have the last name Zimbalist on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.