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

Zinger, 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 Zinger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zinger in America

Zinger is the 29093rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zinger surname appeared 815 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 Zinger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zinger 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 Zinger

The surname Zinger has its origins in several regions in Europe, particularly within German-speaking areas and Jewish communities. It is primarily of German and Ashkenazi Jewish origin. The name likely dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 14th to 15th century. The German word "zinger" means "singer" or "bard," indicating that the original bearers of the name were likely involved in musical professions. Among Jewish populations, Zinger was an occupational surname for those who were cantors in synagogues or involved in similar musical roles.

In German-speaking areas, the surname Zinger can be traced back to regions like Bavaria and Swabia, where music played a significant cultural role. Various historical records and manuscripts have mentioned individuals with this surname. One of the earliest known references is found in a 15th-century Bavarian tax register, listing a Johannes Zinger who was a well-respected musician in his community.

The name also appears in Jewish community records from Eastern Europe. Avraham Zinger, a noted cantor in Krakow, Poland, during the late 17th century, born in 1674 and died in 1721, was renowned for his contributions to synagogue music. Another significant figure was Rabbi Moshe Zinger, born in 1789 and died in 1853, who served as a spiritual leader in Vilnius, Lithuania, and was known for his deep knowledge of Jewish liturgical chants.

Moving into the 19th century, figures such as Ludwig Zinger, born in 1812 and died in 1878, a German-born composer and musician, gained prominence in Vienna as a conductor and songwriter. His compositions were well-regarded for their melodic ingenuity and have been preserved in Austrian musical archives.

In the Jewish ghettos of Eastern Europe, the surname Zinger remained closely associated with religious music. Yakov Zinger, born in 1845 and died in 1911, was a renowned klezmer musician in Odessa, Ukraine. His performances and compositions left a lasting impact on the tradition of klezmer music, celebrating Jewish cultural identity in the face of adversity.

The surname has also been borne by notable figures in the intellectual and academic world. Sigmund Zinger, a philosopher and academic born in 1883 and died in 1947, was influential in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, contributing to the fields of ethics and aesthetics through his writings, which were widely circulated in academic circles of his time.

All in all, the surname Zinger illustrates a fascinating blend of cultural history, embracing both Germanic and Jewish heritage, symbolizing a legacy tied intricately to music and intellectual pursuits throughout its rich history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zinger

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zinger, 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!