2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zoschke
A toponymic surname derived from a region in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Zoschke. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zoschke 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Zoschke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zoschke
The surname Zoschke finds its origins in Germany, with specific roots in the regions of Lower Silesia, now part of modern-day Poland, and Brandenburg. The name first emerged prominently in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to be derived from a Slavic or Germanic base, reflecting the complex cultural interchanges in the region.
The name Zoschke likely evolved from older forms such as Zoschk or Sosk, which could have had meanings linked to geographical features or regional dialects. Silesia and Brandenburg were areas where Slavic and Germanic languages intersected, leading to hybrid names. Variants like Zoschek or Zosieke might also have existed in the early days of its formation.
One of the earliest historical references to the surname can be found in municipal records from the 16th century in Lower Silesia. These records document a Hans Zoschke, a miller, who lived in the region. Such records are valuable as they provide a glimpse into the occupational background associated with early bearers of the surname.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the chronicles of Brandenburg where a Matthias Zoschke is noted as a landowner. The historical presence of the name in land records suggests that Zoschke families were integrated into local economic activities, possibly contributing to agrarian and village life.
Moving to the 18th century, another prominent figure was Gustav Zoschke, born in 1731 and died in 1802, who served as a town official in what is now western Poland. His contributions to local governance mark the name as associated with civic duties and leadership.
By the 19th century, the Zoschke surname surfaces in migration records. One notable individual, Anna Zoschke (1819-1883), emigrated to the United States, showcasing the spread of the surname beyond German-speaking regions into the broader diaspora.
In the cultural realm, Stefan Zoschke, born in 1884 and deceased in 1957, became a well-known figure in the early 20th century. He was recognized for his contributions to literature and social thought within the German intellectual circles.
Lastly, in the field of sports, Franz Zoschke (1920-1989) gained fame as an accomplished professional athlete, reflecting the surname's continuing presence and evolving social imprint through various arenas of life over the centuries.
Overall, the surname Zoschke encapsulates a rich tapestry of regional history, linguistic evolution, and notable contributions across different periods, underscoring its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zoschke
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zoschke 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 Zoschke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zoschke
Zoschke 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,791 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-10 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,048 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 10,048 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 Zoschke 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 | #140,157 | #150,205 | -7.2% |
| Count | 119 | 109 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zoschke bearers went from 119 to 109 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 10,048 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #150,205.
FAQ
Zoschke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zoschke?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Zoschke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Zoschke?
Zoschke ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Zoschke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Zoschke.
Has Zoschke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zoschke went from 119 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Zoschke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Zoschke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zoschke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%), Black (1.8%). 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 Zoschke (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 Zoschke mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a region in Germany. 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 Zoschke (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 common is the surname Zoschke?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Zoschke, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.