Zlatev
A surname derived from the Slavic word "zlat" meaning gold or golden.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Zlatev. That puts it at #152,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zlatev 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.
Zlatev appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#152,628
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Zlatev in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zlatev, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zlatev
The surname Zlatev originates from Bulgaria, appearing prominently in the Balkan region. Its roots can be traced back to the Slavic languages, specifically derived from the word "zlatо," which means "gold" in Bulgarian. This etymology suggests that the name was initially a descriptor, possibly referring to someone who worked with gold or who had a golden or prosperous demeanor.
The earliest mentions of the surname Zlatev can be found in historical records dating back to the late 14th and early 15th centuries, a period marking significant schisms and Ottoman invasions in Bulgarian history. Villages and smaller communities in regions such as Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv bear records of the name. Spellings have remained relatively unchanged, with variations like Zlateff and Zlatyov appearing in older manuscripts.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Petar Zlatev, a notable merchant in the 16th century who was documented in trade records between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. Petar played a significant role in the economic exchanges of the time, particularly around the year 1554. His contributions to trade underline the name’s association with prosperous activities.
During the Bulgarian National Revival in the 18th and 19th centuries, another significant figure was Stefan Zlatev, born in 1769 and passed away in 1838. Stefan was a teacher and deacon who actively participated in the educational reforms and eaching Bulgarian literacy. His efforts laid the foundations for modern Bulgarian education at a time when it was under Ottoman rule.
In the 20th century, the name became more prominent with the rise of Rayko Zlatev, a respected writer and journalist born in 1893 and dying in 1967. Rayko was known for his literary works that documented Bulgarian rural life and the changes brought by industrialization. His writings provide crucial insights into the socio-economic conditions of Bulgaria during his lifetime.
In the artistic sphere, Todor Zlatev is a well-known name. Born in 1924, Todor was a distinguished painter whose works primarily focused on Bulgarian landscapes and traditions. His paintings, created throughout the mid to late 20th century, are celebrated for their vibrant depiction of Bulgarian heritage and can be found in several national galleries.
Another noteworthy individual is Emilia Zlateva, a pioneering female sculptor born in 1948. Her work in the latter half of the 20th century introduced modernist elements to Bulgarian sculpture, where she was instrumental in blending traditional Bulgarian styles with contemporary art forms.
The surname Zlatev encapsulates a rich legacy that extends through various facets of Bulgarian history. From its roots as a possible designation of wealth or prosperity to its presence in trade records and cultural contributions, Zlatev remains an enduring surname that highlights the vibrant tapestry of Bulgaria's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zlatev
Among Census respondents with the surname Zlatev, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%.
The bar chart below shows how Zlatev bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Zlatev surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3%
- Unknown or suppressed3.7%
FAQ
Zlatev surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zlatev?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Zlatev. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Zlatev?
Zlatev ranks #152,628 in the 2010 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 2010 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Zlatev. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Zlatev.
Has Zlatev become more or less common over time?
Zlatev appears here with 2010 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Zlatev?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zlatev, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. These figures come from the 2010 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 Zlatev in the 2010 Census, accounting for 96.3%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zlatev appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (96.3%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Zlatev appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Zlatev mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word "zlat" meaning gold or golden. 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 2010 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 Zlatev (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 Zlatev?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.