2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zitzner
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a weaver or linen worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Zitzner. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zitzner 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Zitzner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zitzner
The surname Zitzner is of German origin, with the earliest mentions tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the regions now known as Bavaria and Saxony, areas well-documented for their historical records and Germanic settlements. The name is likely derived from the Middle High German word "zitzen", which means "to sit" or "to nest," suggesting that it could have initially referred to someone who sat or settled in a particular place or someone who was a guard or lookout.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in a 13th-century Bavarian tax record, where a Johann Zitzner is mentioned as a landowner in a village near Munich, dated around 1267. This early reference indicates that the surname was already in use in the region and associated with property and landownership.
The Zitzner name also appears in historical manuscripts from Saxony, where Conrad Zitzner is documented as a merchant in Leipzig in the early 14th century. This suggests that the name had different adaptations or variations depending on the region, reflecting the mobility and trade routes active during that time.
A significant reference to the Zitzner name appears in a 1475 church registry from Nuremberg, listing a Heinrich Zitzner as a church benefactor. This entry illustrates the involvement of the Zitzner family in religious and charitable activities during this period, potentially indicating a certain social standing.
In the Renaissance era, the surname is found in educational records. Georg Zitzner, born in 1531, was a renowned scholar and theologian who contributed to the Protestant Reformation with his writings and teachings. He died in 1597, leaving a legacy as an influential figure in religious discourse.
Another notable historical figure with the surname is Matthias Zitzner, a craftsman recorded in the 1650s in Strasbourg, an important cultural and economic hub in the Holy Roman Empire. His work in metal forging and contributions to local guilds are well-documented in municipal records, signifying the influence of the Zitzner family in artisanal circles.
By the 18th century, the migration of the Zitzner family name spread into other parts of Europe. One such instance is documented with Wilhelm Zitzner, who settled in Amsterdam in the early 1700s. He is noted in trade documents as a successful merchant dealing in textiles and spices, contributing to the economic vibrancy of the city until his death in 1748.
These historical instances of the surname Zitzner indicate its deep roots in German-speaking regions, with varying involvement in landownership, trade, religious, educational, and artisanal spheres over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zitzner
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zitzner 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 Zitzner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zitzner
Zitzner 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,273 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,867 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 19,273 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,867 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 Zitzner 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 | #151,532 | #148,665 | 1.9% |
| Count | 108 | 111 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zitzner bearers went from 108 to 111 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,867 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #148,665.
FAQ
Zitzner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zitzner?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Zitzner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Zitzner?
Zitzner ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Zitzner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Zitzner.
Has Zitzner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zitzner went from 108 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Zitzner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zitzner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zitzner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Zitzner (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 Zitzner mean?
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a weaver or linen worker. 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 Zitzner (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 Zitzner?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.