2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zollweg
A German surname meaning "toll road" or "customs road".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Zollweg. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zollweg 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Zollweg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zollweg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zollweg
The surname Zollweg originated in Germany, likely in the medieval period. Zollweg is derived from the German words "Zoll," meaning "toll" or "duty," and "Weg," meaning "way" or "path." This name would have been given to someone who worked at or lived near a toll path or road where tolls were collected. The surname is most commonly associated with regions in southern Germany, such as Bavaria, where many trade routes required tolls during medieval times.
Old records and manuscripts provide insights into the use of the surname Zollweg. One of the earliest references is found in a historical document from the 14th century detailing individuals responsible for maintaining toll stations. An old spelling variant includes Zollwege, which also points to individuals or families involved in toll collection.
One of the earliest recorded examples of someone with this surname is Johann Zollweg, born in 1490 and documented in a municipal record in Nuremberg. He was noted to have worked in the toll collection office, substantiating the occupational origin of the name. Nuremberg, being a central hub for trade, frequently recorded the professions and contributions of its residents.
Moving forward into the 16th century, another notable individual is Heinrich Zollweg, born in 1534 and known for his role in local governance in a small Bavarian village. Heinrich's work mainly involved overseeing the toll operations on one of the main roads leading into the village, ensuring that trade and passage were regulated according to local laws.
In the late 17th century, records from 1682 cite Magdalena Zollweg from Augsburg, known for her involvement in the establishment of a charitable foundation aimed at aiding travelers who could not afford tolls. Her contributions were widely recognized, and her efforts added a philanthropic aspect to the otherwise transactional nature of the toll business.
Friedrich Zollweg, born in 1745, emerged as a significant figure in the mid-18th century. A historian and author, Friedrich wrote extensively on the history of toll roads in Germany, compiling lists of various Zollweg families and mapping out their contributions throughout the Holy Roman Empire. His works are still referenced by historians studying medieval and early modern German trade routes.
In the early 19th century, we find reference to Clara Zollweg, born in 1801, who played an essential role in the development of infrastructure in Baden-Württemberg. As an engineer, Clara pushed for the modernization of toll roads to accommodate the increasing horse-drawn traffic and later, the advent of railways. Her innovations had lasting impacts on the region's economic growth.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zollweg
Among Census respondents with the surname Zollweg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zollweg 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 Zollweg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zollweg
Zollweg 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-14 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,120 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 24,120 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 4,245 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 Zollweg 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 | #157,234 | #152,989 | 2.7% |
| Count | 103 | 105 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zollweg bearers went from 103 to 105 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 4,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,989.
FAQ
Zollweg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zollweg?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Zollweg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Zollweg?
Zollweg ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Zollweg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Zollweg.
Has Zollweg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zollweg went from 103 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Zollweg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zollweg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Zollweg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zollweg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Zollweg (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 Zollweg mean?
A German surname meaning "toll road" or "customs road". 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 Zollweg (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 share the surname Zollweg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.