2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zott
A surname of German or Jewish origin, potentially derived from a nickname or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Zott. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zott 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Zott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zott, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zott
The surname Zott has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe. It is most commonly associated with the area that is now southern Germany and parts of Austria. The name first appeared in these regions during the medieval period, around the 12th and 13th centuries. Etymologically, Zott is believed to derive from the Old High German word "zotta" or "zottel," which means "tuft" or "fringe," possibly referring to someone with tousled or shaggy hair.
In medieval records, the name appeared in various forms. One of the earliest mentions can be found in the chronicles of the Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland around 1230, where a certain Henricus Zott was recorded as a lay brother. This is one of the earliest instances of the name in written form, indicating its presence and usage during that period.
Further historical evidence of the name can be found in the tax records of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 14th century, a Conradus Zott is listed in the tax rolls of Nuremberg around 1375. This period saw the name becoming more common, particularly in the Bavarian region.
Another early instance is recorded in the municipal archives of Ulm, where a merchant named Wilhelm Zott is documented around 1410. This suggests that the family may have been involved in trade, which was a common profession for many surnames that emerged during the middle ages.
Notable individuals bearing the surname include Hans Zott, a master craftsman from Augsburg, documented in the city guilds around 1500. His work contributed significantly to the city's early Renaissance architecture.
Another prominent figure was Maria Zott, who lived in Munich in the early 17th century. Maria was well-documented as an influential weaver and artisan, born in 1598 and passing in 1665. Her contributions to textile arts were well recognized in the region.
In the realm of academic and intellectual pursuits, Ferdinand Zott was a noteworthy historian from Vienna in the 18th century, born in 1732 and dying in 1798. His works on the Holy Roman Empire's history were widely respected and remain important references for scholars today.
The surname Zott has thus borne witness to a rich history across several centuries and regions. It is interwoven with the social and professional fabrics of southern German regions, consistently appearing in various roles across historical records. This surname encapsulates a legacy tied to the cultural and economic development of German-speaking Europe through the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zott
Among Census respondents with the surname Zott, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zott 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 Zott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 117
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zott
Zott 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+5 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,110 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-20 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 4,110 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 18,985 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 Zott 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 | #123,064 | #142,049 | -15.4% |
| Count | 140 | 120 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zott bearers went from 140 to 120 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 18,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #142,049.
FAQ
Zott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zott?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Zott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Zott?
Zott ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Zott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Zott.
Has Zott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zott went from 140 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Zott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zott, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Zott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Zott (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 Zott mean?
A surname of German or Jewish origin, potentially derived from a nickname or location. 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 Zott (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 last name Zott?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Zott is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.