2000
#31,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 682
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Zolman
A German surname derived from the word "Zoll" meaning "toll" or "customs duty".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 842 Americans carry the last name Zolman. That puts it at #33,419 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 407,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zolman 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
842
1 in 407,072
Census rank
#33,419
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
734
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 734 bearers of the surname Zolman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33419th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zolman
The surname Zolman likely originates from Central Europe, specifically within the regions that are now Germany and the Netherlands. The name appears to have medieval Germanic roots, derived from the Old High German words zol, meaning toll or tax, and mann, meaning man. This etymology suggests that the name was originally occupational, referring to a tollman or tax collector.
Historical records show various spellings of the surname, including Zollmann, Zollman, and Zohlman. These variations indicate geographical and linguistic differences as the name spread across different regions in Europe. The earliest documented instances of the surname date back to the late medieval period, with mentions in tax and land records, although exact references are sparse.
One of the first notable occurrences of the name Zolman is found in a 15th-century tax ledger from the city of Frankfurt. A certain Heinrich Zollmann is listed as a toll collector during this period, which aligns with the occupational origin of the name. Heinrich is believed to have been born around 1420 and died sometime after 1480.
In the late 16th century, Hans Zolman was recorded in Groningen, the Netherlands. Hans, born around 1560 and documented until about 1620, was a merchant, which indicates a possible shift from the original occupational role of his ancestors. This geographical movement also reflects the economic and cultural exchanges between the Germanic and Dutch regions during this period.
By the 17th century, the surname had spread further, finding its way into English records. A notable example is Wilhelm Zolman, who emigrated to England in the mid-1600s. Born in 1610 in the Rhineland region of Germany, Wilhelm settled in London around 1650, where he worked as a craftsman until his death in 1675.
In the 18th century, records from Pennsylvania in the United States note the arrival of Johann Zolman. Born in 1705 in Bavaria, Johann immigrated to the American colonies in 1740. His records indicate he owned land and worked as a farmer until his death in 1780. This migration is part of the larger wave of German-speaking immigrants to the Americas during that time.
By the early 19th century, the surname had become established in various parts of Europe and North America. A notable figure during this time was Friedrich Zolman, a German revolutionary born in 1785 who participated in the 1848 revolutions across Europe. Friedrich's role in advocating for democratic reforms and his subsequent exile to the United States reflect the broader social and political movements of the period.
These historical examples highlight the evolution of the surname Zolman from its medieval origins as an occupational name to its spread across different regions and its adaptation by various notable individuals throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zolman
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zolman 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 Zolman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 690
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 19
- Two or more races1.9% · 14
- Black or African American0.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zolman
Zolman 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
#34,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 646
-36 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 2,958 places
2020
#33,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 734
+88 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 1,497 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,958 | 682 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,916 | 646 | 0.22 | -36 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 2,958 places |
| 2020 | #33,419 | 734 | 0.25 | +88 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 1,497 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 Zolman 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 | #34,916 | #33,419 | 4.3% |
| Count | 646 | 734 | 13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.25 | 11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zolman bearers went from 646 to 734 (+13.6% change). The surname moved up 1,497 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,916 to #33,419.
FAQ
Zolman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zolman?
Name Census estimates that about 842 living Americans carry the surname Zolman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 407,072 residents.
How common is Zolman?
Zolman ranks #33,419 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 734 people with the surname Zolman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (842), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Zolman.
Has Zolman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zolman went from 646 recorded bearers to 734. That is an increase of 88 (+13.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,916 to #33,419.
What does the Census say about the background of Zolman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Zolman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (690 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zolman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Zolman (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 Zolman mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Zoll" meaning "toll" or "customs duty". 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 Zolman (0.25 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 are called Zolman?
See how many Americans have the surname Zolman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.