2000
#10,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,724
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Zirkle
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of a type of sweet bread or pastry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,054 Americans carry the last name Zirkle. That puts it at #11,329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,231 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zirkle 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
3.1K
1 in 112,231
Census rank
#11,329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,663 bearers of the surname Zirkle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zirkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zirkle
The surname Zirkle originated in Germany, specifically in the southern regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th or 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "Zirkel," which means "circle" or "compass." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a profession or trade involving circles, such as a cartographer, surveyor, or craftsman working with circular objects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zirkle can be found in the town of Günzburg, located in the modern-day state of Bavaria, Germany. In a document dated 1548, a certain Hans Zirkle is mentioned as a resident of the town. This document provides valuable insight into the historical presence of the name in that particular region.
Another notable early reference to the name Zirkle comes from the town of Welzheim in the state of Baden-Württemberg. In a church record from 1632, a Johannes Zirkle is listed as having been born in the town. This record helps establish the geographical spread of the name across different regions of southern Germany during that time period.
In the 17th century, a man named Johann Zirkle (1652-1712) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and metalworker in the city of Augsburg, which was renowned for its craftsmanship. His work exemplified the precision and attention to detail associated with the name's possible origins.
During the 18th century, a family by the name of Zirkle rose to prominence in the town of Öhringen, located in the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg. Johann Georg Zirkle (1722-1801), a successful merchant and landowner, played a significant role in the town's economic and social affairs.
In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Zirkle was Friedrich Zirkle (1816-1892), a respected educator and author from the city of Stuttgart. He published several influential works on pedagogy and educational reform, leaving a lasting impact on the educational system in the region.
It is worth noting that the name Zirkle has been subject to various spellings throughout history, such as Zirkl, Zirkel, and Zürkel. These variations reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation. Additionally, the name has been associated with certain place names, such as Zirkelbach, a small village in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zirkle
Among Census respondents with the surname Zirkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Zirkle 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 Zirkle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,450
- Two or more races4.2% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zirkle
Zirkle 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
#11,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,765
+41 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 653 places
2020
#11,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,663
-102 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,751 | 2,724 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,404 | 2,765 | 0.94 | +41 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 653 places |
| 2020 | #11,329 | 2,663 | 0.89 | -102 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 75 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 Zirkle 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 | #11,404 | #11,329 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,765 | 2,663 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.89 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zirkle bearers went from 2,765 to 2,663 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,404 to #11,329.
FAQ
Zirkle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zirkle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,054 living Americans carry the surname Zirkle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,231 residents.
How common is Zirkle?
Zirkle ranks #11,329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,663 people with the surname Zirkle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,054), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zirkle.
Has Zirkle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zirkle went from 2,765 recorded bearers to 2,663. That is a decrease of 102 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,404 to #11,329.
What does the Census say about the background of Zirkle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zirkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Zirkle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zirkle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Zirkle (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 Zirkle mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of a type of sweet bread or pastry. 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 Zirkle (0.89 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 Zirkle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Zirkle at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.