Zimberg last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zimberg

A Germanized habitational surname derived from a locational name.

Zimberg, 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 Zimberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zimberg in America

Zimberg is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zimberg surname appeared 186 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 Zimberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zimberg 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 97671 93427 4.44%
Count 186 182 2.17%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.07 -15.38%

The history of the last name Zimberg

The surname Zimberg likely has its origins in Eastern Europe, possibly within the regions that are now part of modern-day Poland or Lithuania. The name is believed to date back to the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name Zimberg is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, and its etymological roots lie in the Yiddish language, which itself borrows heavily from German. The name could be derived from the German words “zim,” meaning “timber” or “wood,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain” or “hill,” thus translating to “timber mountain” or “wooded hill.”

Historical references to the surname Zimberg are scattered but significant. The name was first recorded in various Jewish community records from Eastern Europe in the mid-16th century. One early example includes Mordechai Zimberg, born in 1543 in Kraków, Poland, and mentioned in Jewish scholarly texts of the era. These early records reveal the name's presence in areas with established Jewish communities, often involved in trades or professions such as carpentry, where the name's meaning would have been particularly fitting.

Simon Zimberg, another notable figure from history, was born in 1620 and lived in Vilnius, Lithuania. He was a scholar and a rabbi, contributing significantly to Jewish religious writings and community leadership during the mid-17th century. Historical manuscripts from this period mention Simon Zimberg's influential role in the Jewish community, highlighting the name's association with intellectual and religious pursuits.

Moving forward to the 18th century, the surname appears in the records of one Leah Zimberg, born in 1701 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Leah was known for her philanthropy and support of Jewish educational institutions. Her contributions to the community are documented in several charitable records and letters, emphasizing the Zimberg family's continued involvement in community affairs.

David Zimberg, born in 1802, became a prominent figure during the early 19th century in Warsaw, Poland. He was a successful merchant and community leader, known for his business acumen and support of Jewish cultural and religious activities. David's influence extended beyond Warsaw, as he established trading connections throughout Europe, thereby spreading the surname further afield.

Another notable mention is Rebecca Zimberg, born in 1845 in Belarus. She was an early advocate for women's rights within the Jewish community and one of the first recorded female teachers in a Jewish school. Her pioneering work in education is documented in various 19th-century educational reforms, showcasing the name's association with progress and change within historical contexts.

Throughout history, the Zimberg surname has been connected to significant figures and milestones within the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. Each bearer of the name contributed to the tapestry of their time, spanning religious, intellectual, commercial, and philanthropic endeavors. The surname's origins and meanings have left an indelible mark on the historical records of the regions where it was most prominent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zimberg

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

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 Zimberg was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.31% 181
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 2.69% 5

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 Zimberg has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.31% 96.15% 1.20%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% 3.30% -200.00%
Hispanic 2.69% (S)% (S)%

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 Zimberg was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Zimberg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zimberg-surname-popularity/.

"Zimberg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zimberg-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Zimberg last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zimberg-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.