2000
#43,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 462
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Zogg
A German surname believed to derive from a place name or occupational nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 514 Americans carry the last name Zogg. That puts it at #50,441 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 666,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zogg 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
514
1 in 666,837
Census rank
#50,441
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
448
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 448 bearers of the surname Zogg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50441st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zogg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zogg
The surname Zogg originates from Switzerland, particularly from the Eastern Swiss canton of Graubünden. The name is predominantly found in the Alemannic-speaking regions and can be traced back to the early medieval period. The earliest records suggest that the surname Zogg appeared in the 13th and 14th centuries, aligning with the broader historical context of family names becoming institutionalized in Europe during this era.
The name Zogg likely derives from an ancient dialect form or a geographical feature. In the local Alemannic dialect, the word "Zogg" could relate to a topographical term for a slope or an incline, which would be fitting given the mountainous terrain of Graubünden. The spelling variations of the name in older records include Zog, Zock, and Zöch, reflecting the regional linguistic nuances and orthographic fluctuations of the time.
Historical references to the surname Zogg appear in medieval land records and ecclesiastical documents. One notable instance is from a 1378 record, where a "Heinrich Zogg" is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Maienfeld, indicating that the family had established some prominence and landholding status even in the 14th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Zogg name can be found in the Zürcher Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the Zurich area, where a "Walter Zogg" is listed in 1392. This suggests that the name had spread beyond Graubünden to other parts of Switzerland.
Throughout history, members of the Zogg family have made various contributions in their respective fields. Notably, Johann Heinrich Zogg (1743–1827), a significant figure in Swiss agriculture, promoted modern farming techniques in the early 19th century. Philipp Anton Zogg (1860–1942), a notable Swiss engineer, contributed to the development of railway systems in Switzerland, enhancing the connectivity and industrial advancement of the country.
Another distinguished person with the surname was Karl Zogg (1917–1993), a famous alpine skier who represented Switzerland in the early development of competitive skiing, bringing the nation's prowess in winter sports to international attention during the mid-20th century. Walter Zogg (1924–2019) was a Swiss physicist who made significant contributions to the study of condensed matter and material science in the latter twentieth century.
The surname Zogg, rich in historical connotations and notable individuals, reflects a deep-seated connection with the Swiss topographical and cultural landscape. It provides a glimpse into how surnames evolved in tandem with the societal and geographical structures around them, leaving a lasting legacy in both historical records and contemporary recognition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zogg
Among Census respondents with the surname Zogg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zogg 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 Zogg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 410
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 17
- Two or more races2.9% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zogg
Zogg 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
#46,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 456
-6 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 2,692 places
2020
#50,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 448
-8 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 3,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,955 | 462 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,647 | 456 | 0.15 | -6 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 2,692 places |
| 2020 | #50,441 | 448 | 0.15 | -8 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 3,794 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 Zogg 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 | #46,647 | #50,441 | -8.1% |
| Count | 456 | 448 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zogg bearers went from 456 to 448 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 3,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,647 to #50,441.
FAQ
Zogg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zogg?
Name Census estimates that about 514 living Americans carry the surname Zogg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 666,837 residents.
How common is Zogg?
Zogg ranks #50,441 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 448 people with the surname Zogg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (514), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Zogg.
Has Zogg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zogg went from 456 recorded bearers to 448. That is a decrease of 8 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,647 to #50,441.
What does the Census say about the background of Zogg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zogg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Zogg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (410 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zogg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Zogg (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 Zogg mean?
A German surname believed to derive from a place name or occupational nickname. 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 Zogg (0.15 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 Zogg?
See how many people have the surname Zogg on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.