2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zitomer
A surname indicating a rural dweller or someone from a rural area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Zitomer. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zitomer 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Zitomer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitomer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zitomer
The surname Zitomer is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in regions such as Poland and Ukraine. The root of the name can be traced back to the Slavic languages, where the word "zito" translates to "grain" or "wheat." Given the agrarian societies in these regions during medieval times, this surname might have been associated with individuals involved in grain farming or trade.
The name Zitomer is derived from the Polish words "zito" meaning grain and "mierz" which could mean measure. It is plausible that the name referred to someone who measured grain, possibly a grain merchant or someone involved in the processing of grain. Similar surnames like Zytomirski and Zhitomirsky can be found, which are toponymic, suggesting origins linked to geographical locations such as Zhytomyr, a historic city in Ukraine.
Historical references to the surname are sparse but enlightening. One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar name appears in Polish records from the 16th century. The name Zytomir appears in documents relating to the governance and land ownership in the region of Zhytomyr. These records indicate the prominence of grain trade and agriculture, supporting the etymological roots of the surname.
An early notable individual with a related surname was Jacob Zhitomirsky, born in 1680 and who lived in the region that is today Ukraine. His involvement in local governance is well documented, placing the family in a position of relative importance. In the 18th century, another figure, Kazimierz Zytomirski, born in 1725, made notable contributions to the agricultural advancements in Poland.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Zitomer appears in Jewish community records, particularly among those who emigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States during periods of upheaval. One such individual was Samuel Zitomer, born in 1884, who became a small business owner in New York, contributing to the local economy and community.
In the 20th century, the surname appears less frequently, but still holds significance. David Zitomer, born in 1920, was a prominent academic, contributing to the field of mathematics and mentoring many students throughout his career.
The surname Zitomer, with its ties to grain and agriculture, reflects the socio-economic history of the regions from which it originates. It evokes images of a time when surnames were directly linked to the professions and daily lives of individuals, providing a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zitomer
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitomer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zitomer 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 Zitomer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 102
- Two or more races7.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zitomer
Zitomer 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+5 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,244 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 4,244 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 11,894 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 Zitomer 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 | #133,863 | #145,757 | -8.9% |
| Count | 126 | 115 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zitomer bearers went from 126 to 115 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 11,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #145,757.
FAQ
Zitomer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zitomer?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Zitomer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Zitomer?
Zitomer ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Zitomer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Zitomer.
Has Zitomer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zitomer went from 126 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Zitomer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitomer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Zitomer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zitomer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (7.0%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Zitomer (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 Zitomer mean?
A surname indicating a rural dweller or someone from a rural area. 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 Zitomer (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 Americans have the surname Zitomer?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.