2000
#73,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Zohn
A surname derived from a Yiddish name meaning "son".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 415 Americans carry the last name Zohn. That puts it at #60,172 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 825,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zohn 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
415
1 in 825,914
Census rank
#60,172
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
362
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 362 bearers of the surname Zohn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60172nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zohn
The surname Zohn finds its origins in Germany, tracing back to the medieval period. Its earliest forms are associated with the German word "Sohn," meaning "son." The name was often used to denote lineage, indicating "the son of" someone. Historically, the areas most connected with the surname Zohn are regions within present-day Germany, particularly in locations where Germanic tribes were prominent.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of a name similar to Zohn can be found in documents from the Holy Roman Empire, where variations such as Sohn, Zoon, and Zon were noted. By the late 12th century, the name Zohn had distinguished itself as a separate surname, indicating a unique family line.
Historical references to the surname include appearances in various town records across German provinces. For instance, a notable mention occurs in the “Urkundenbuch” of the town of Mainz in the 13th century. These records were primarily tax and land documents that detailed the lives of many medieval families.
One of the earliest individuals recorded with the surname Zohn is Johannes Zohn, a landowner in the region of Bavaria around the year 1275. Another significant figure is Heinrich Zohn, a merchant in Frankfurt who was active in the mid-14th century and known for his trade between Germanic states and Italy.
The surname Zohn also makes appearances in later historical contexts, such as in the 16th century with Martin Zohn, a scholar at the University of Leipzig, born in 1532 and passed away in 1605. His contributions to early botanical studies were notable during his time.
Marie Zohn, born in 1698, and known for her philanthropic work, became a prominent figure in the early 18th century. Her efforts focused on educating women in the region of Württemberg, and she left a lasting legacy in the community.
Another distinguished bearer of the name is Wilhelm Zohn, an officer in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars, born in 1775. His strategic prowess and leadership were recognized in several key battles between 1806 and 1814.
These figures demonstrate the surname's historical depth and cultural significance, originating from medieval Germany and maintaining presence through various notable individuals across centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zohn
Among Census respondents with the surname Zohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zohn 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 Zohn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 315
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 23
- Black or African American4.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
- Two or more races0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zohn
Zohn 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
#69,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 280
+36 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 3,935 places
2020
#60,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 362
+82 bearers (+29.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 9,824 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,931 | 244 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #69,996 | 280 | 0.09 | +36 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 3,935 places |
| 2020 | #60,172 | 362 | 0.12 | +82 bearers (+29.3%) | Up 9,824 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 Zohn 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 | #69,996 | #60,172 | 14.0% |
| Count | 280 | 362 | 29.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.12 | 34.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zohn bearers went from 280 to 362 (+29.3% change). The surname moved up 9,824 positions in the national ranking, going from #69,996 to #60,172.
FAQ
Zohn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zohn?
Name Census estimates that about 415 living Americans carry the surname Zohn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 825,914 residents.
How common is Zohn?
Zohn ranks #60,172 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 362 people with the surname Zohn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (415), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Zohn.
Has Zohn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zohn went from 280 recorded bearers to 362. That is an increase of 82 (+29.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #69,996 to #60,172.
What does the Census say about the background of Zohn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (4.4%). 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 Zohn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zohn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (6.4%), Black (4.4%). 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 Zohn (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 Zohn mean?
A surname derived from a Yiddish name meaning "son". 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 Zohn (0.12 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 people have the last name Zohn?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Zohn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.