2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zolin
A surname derived from a Croatian place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Zolin. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zolin 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Zolin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zolin
The surname Zolin finds its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the regions that now encompass Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. It is believed to have first appeared around the 12th century. The name Zolin is derived from old Slavic linguistic roots, which likely trace back to the word "zol," meaning “gold.” This may indicate that the original bearers of the name were associated with wealth or trades related to gold, such as goldsmiths.
Early records and manuscripts do not feature the name Zolin extensively, probably due to the scattered documentation practices of Eastern European regions during medieval times. However, some of the earliest mentions appear in parish registers and tax records from the 14th and 15th centuries. One early recorded instance of an individual with this surname is Ivan Zolin, a minor noble in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, documented in a 1432 land grant.
As the surname spread, it began appearing in various spellings due to transliterations and regional dialects. In Poland, it might appear as Zoliński, while in Russia, variations like Zolinov were common. In Ukraine, Yevhen Zolin, born in 1564 and who later became a renowned merchant in Lviv, made the name notable as Lviv expanded its trading reach across Eastern Europe.
During the 17th century, the name further established itself in Russian territories. One prominent bearer was Dmitry Zolin, a military officer born in 1642. He became known for his valor during the Russo-Turkish War and was mentioned in several military dispatches of the time.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in artistic circles. Anna Zolina, a celebrated Russian poetess born in 1738, contributed significantly to Russian literature. Her works often highlighted the socio-political issues of her time, earning her considerable fame.
Entering the 19th century, the surname continued to play a role in socio-political spheres. Nikolai Zolin, born in 1821, became an influential figure in the Russo-Japanese War, serving as a high-ranking officer and later as a political envoy. His memoirs provide valuable insights into the military strategies and diplomatic nuances of that turbulent period.
The Zolin surname, through centuries of geographical spread and adaptation, reflects a rich tapestry of Eastern European history, encompassing nobility, military valor, commerce, and cultural contributions. Its bearers have, time and time again, left an indelible mark on the fabric of the regions they inhabited.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zolin
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Zolin 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 Zolin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 110
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zolin
Zolin 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,166 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 16,166 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,461 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 Zolin 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 | #154,907 | #149,446 | 3.5% |
| Count | 105 | 110 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zolin bearers went from 105 to 110 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #149,446.
FAQ
Zolin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zolin?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Zolin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Zolin?
Zolin ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Zolin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Zolin.
Has Zolin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zolin went from 105 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Zolin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Zolin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zolin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Zolin (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 Zolin mean?
A surname derived from a Croatian place name. 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 Zolin (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 people have the surname Zolin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.