2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zlatkin
A surname derived from the Slavic word "zlato" meaning gold, potentially indicating an ancestor's occupation or association with the precious metal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Zlatkin. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zlatkin 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 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 Zlatkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zlatkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zlatkin
The surname Zlatkin has its origins in Eastern Europe, most prominently found among Jewish communities in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. The name Zlatkin can be traced back to the Yiddish and Slavic linguistic traditions. The root of the surname derives from the Yiddish word "zlat," meaning "gold," which itself finds its origins in the Old Slavonic "zlato." The suffix "kin" is a diminutive, connoting "little" or "son of," thus making Zlatkin roughly translate to "son of Gold" or "little Gold."
Historical references to the name can be found in various manuscripts and documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. The expansion of the Jewish population in the Pale of Settlement, a western region of Imperial Russia, led to the recording of such surnames in official documents such as tax records, censuses, and community ledgers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zlatkin appears in the mid-18th century records from the region of Vilnius in Lithuania. These records, which documented the local Jewish population, mention a certain Moshe Zlatkin, a merchant born in 1742. The presence of Zlatkin in these records hints at the established nature of the family within the community.
Moving into the 19th century, the name becomes more prominent. In 1825, a government census in Kiev lists Aaron Zlatkin, a rabbi born in 1787, indicating the surname's prevalence amidst Jewish scholarly circles. With the advent of the 20th century, the name appears in various immigration records, particularly among those fleeing Eastern Europe due to pogroms and economic hardships.
Several individuals with the surname Zlatkin made notable contributions over the years. For instance, Solomon Zlatkin (1872–1945), a renowned literary figure, published several Yiddish literary works in Warsaw, contributing to the rich tapestry of Jewish Eastern European culture. Another notable figure is Esther Zlatkin (1890–1963), an early Zionist activist who played a key role in community organizing in pre-state Israel.
Further, David Zlatkin, born in 1901 in Odessa, was a prominent figure in the field of mathematics and taught at several universities across Europe before eventually relocating to the United States. His contributions to mathematical theories and academic literature remain influential.
During World War II, the name appeared again in a solemn context. Leah Zlatkin (1922–1944), a resistance fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, became a symbol of resilience and bravery. Her legacy is commemorated in various historical accounts documenting the Jewish resistance during the Holocaust.
In summary, the surname Zlatkin carries a rich historical tapestry tied to the Jewish diaspora of Eastern Europe. With roots going back several centuries, it encapsulates a myriad of cultural, scholarly, and activist legacies. The endurance of the name through various historical epochs underscores its importance within Jewish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zlatkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Zlatkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zlatkin 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 Zlatkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zlatkin
Zlatkin 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+15 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,577 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-21 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 4,577 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 19,433 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 Zlatkin 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 | #132,206 | #151,639 | -14.7% |
| Count | 128 | 107 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zlatkin bearers went from 128 to 107 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 19,433 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #151,639.
FAQ
Zlatkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zlatkin?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Zlatkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Zlatkin?
Zlatkin ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Zlatkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Zlatkin.
Has Zlatkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zlatkin went from 128 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Zlatkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zlatkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Zlatkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zlatkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Zlatkin (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 Zlatkin mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word "zlato" meaning gold, potentially indicating an ancestor's occupation or association with the precious metal. 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 Zlatkin (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 common is the surname Zlatkin?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Zlatkin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.