Find out how popular the last name Zornow is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Zornow.

Zornow, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Zornow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zornow in America

Zornow is the 71042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zornow surname appeared 275 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Zornow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zornow to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Zornow

The surname Zornow has its roots in Germany, specifically from the historical regions of Pomerania and Mecklenburg in northern Germany. The name Zornow likely emerged during the Middle Ages, with its earliest known origins dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The name appears to be derived from a place name, as was common in medieval European naming conventions, indicating geographic or locational origins.

The name Zornow is believed to have originated from the German word Zorn, meaning anger or wrath, combined with the suffix "ow" common in place names in the Pomeranian and Mecklenburg regions. The suffix "ow" is of Slavic origin, an indicator of the Slavic influence in northeastern Germany during that time. There are historical place names such as Zarnow in Poland and Zarnowek that bear resemblance and might be related, though it's most likely these names evolved from similar phonetic roots rather than directly from each other.

Historical references to the name Zornow appear in medieval records, including land deeds and tax rolls. In a 1364 Pomeranian tax record, a family bearing the name Zornow is listed as landowners in the village of Zornow. It is from such records that the name began to be more widely recognized.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Zornow was Johannes Zornow, born circa 1523 in a small village near the town of Stralsund. He was known to have been a member of the local guild of blacksmiths, a prestigious position at the time. Another early record mentions a Heinrich Zornow, who in 1587 was listed as a witness in a legal document involving land disputes in the region now known as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

By the 17th century, the name Zornow had spread further afield. Margarethe Zornow, born in 1611, was recorded as having migrated to the burgeoning Hanseatic city of Hamburg where she worked as a midwife. Later, in the 18th century, the Zornow family name appeared in records from Berlin. Johann Friedrich Zornow, born in 1756 and a noted Lutheran priest, was among those whose clerical work and religious influence were well documented.

The 19th century saw the name Zornow becoming more widespread, with notable examples including Friedrich Wilhelm Zornow, born in 1802, a respected scholar in the University of Leipzig. His contributions to German literature and philosophy were significant, making him a prominent figure in academic circles of his time.

Finally, another notable individual was Wilhelm Zornow, born in 1864, who was a pioneering figure in early German industrialization. His innovations in mechanical engineering earned him recognition and accolades, paving the way for modernization in various German manufacturing sectors.

Throughout its history, the surname Zornow has been associated with many influential and noteworthy individuals, contributing significantly to various fields from academia to industry within Germany. The spread and development of the name reflect the broader social and economic changes in German-speaking regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zornow

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Zornow.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Zornow was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Zornow has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Zornow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zornow, please contact us.

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