Find out how popular the last name Zimbelman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Zimbelman.

Zimbelman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Zimbelman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zimbelman in America

Zimbelman is the 29918th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zimbelman surname appeared 785 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Zimbelman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zimbelman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Zimbelman

The surname Zimbelman has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with linguistic evidence pointing primarily towards Germany. Dating back several centuries, the name Zimbelman is thought to have originated from occupational or descriptive roots. The original form of the surname might hail from the combination of "Zimbel," an old German word meaning "cymbal," a type of musical instrument, and the suffix "man," which generally means "man" or "person." This suggests that the name could have originally described a person who played the cymbals or was otherwise involved with these instruments.

The name Zimbelman has variations that appeared in historical documents, including manuscripts and records from various German principalities, reflecting the fluidity of spelling in pre-modern Europe. One of the earliest known references to a form of the name appears in a 15th-century German ledger listing tradespeople and artisans in the Rhineland area. An individual named Hans Zimbelman, documented around 1485, is noted for his involvement in a local guild of musicians.

Further historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries provide additional references to the Zimbelman surname. For instance, Jacobus Zimbelman, born in 1523 and died in 1589, was recorded in municipal archives in the city of Nuremberg as a skilled instrument maker. His participation in the guilds of that era underscores the occupational roots of the surname.

During the early 18th century, records from the Palatinate region document a Johann Zimbelman, born in 1705, as a notable church musician and composer. His work included contributions to local liturgical music, further cementing the association of the name with musical professions.

By the 19th century, the name Zimbelman appears in emigration records as families bearing the name moved to the Americas, particularly to the United States, to escape political turmoil and seek new opportunities. One such individual, Heinrich Zimbelman, born in 1824 and died in 1893, is recorded in the passenger lists of ships arriving in New York Harbor. Heinrich established himself as a respected member of the German-American community in Ohio, where he became involved in local cultural and social affairs.

Another 19th-century figure of note is Ludwig Zimbelman, born in 1856 and died in 1920, who emerged as a prominent local politician and businessman in the state of Wisconsin. His contributions to regional development included extensive work in promoting German heritage and culture in American society.

Through these records, the history of the Zimbelman surname illustrates a rich tapestry of occupational and cultural significance, tracing its roots to the musical and artisanal traditions of Germany, and highlighting the journeys and achievements of individuals bearing the name across centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zimbelman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Zimbelman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Zimbelman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Zimbelman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Zimbelman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zimbelman, please contact us.

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