2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zoz
A surname potentially derived from a Polish place name or nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Zoz. 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 Zoz 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 Zoz 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 Zoz, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zoz
The surname Zoz is thought to have originated in central Europe, particularly within the regions that are now part of modern-day Hungary and Slovakia. The name is most likely derived from local dialects or regional words from the early Middle Ages, around the 10th to 12th centuries, where surnames began to evolve from descriptive characteristics about individuals or their family origins. The earliest formations can be traced back to old Slavic or Magyar roots, potentially linked to words that described occupation, notable physical attributes, or geographic locations.
In historical manuscripts, the name Zoz appears infrequently, but certain documents from the medieval period indicate the presence of families bearing this surname. For instance, in a 14th-century ecclesiastical record, a Miklos Zoz is mentioned as a land tasseler in the Kingdom of Hungary. These early mentions suggest the name was carried by individuals engaged in various trades or responsibilities within feudal society.
Another historical reference occurs in a 15th-century land grant document where a Juraj Zoz is noted as having received lands for service in a local militia. This indicates the surname's attachment to individuals who were integrated within the military or semi-military frameworks of these historical territories.
In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Zoz lineage was Anna Zoz, born in 1523, who is documented in community court records in what was then Upper Hungary. She was part of a well-known local family that held certain civic responsibilities and had a reputation for being influential in local governance.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable individual named János Zoz (1741-1799) emerges in historical annals. He was a scholar and cleric, renowned for his contributions to theological discourses and his role in the church reformation movements within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His writings and sermons have been preserved, shedding light on the intellectual capabilities associated with this surname.
In the early 19th century, a Mikša Zoz is mentioned in regional historical records as an influential merchant and town alderman in present-day Slovakia. Records from circa 1834 reveal his involvement in trade across Central Europe, indicative of the Zoz surname's prominence in various spheres of life.
Lastly, Alexei Zoz, born in 1867, was a patriotic figure active in the nationalist uprisings within what was once the Kingdom of Hungary. His actions and leadership during these tumultuous periods reflect the enduring presence and significance of the Zoz name in historical narratives of resistance and identity.
Throughout these historical periods, the Zoz surname endures as a marker of community roles, professional identities, and local prominence in central European history. The name's evolution reflects the varying societal structures and cultural integrities of the regions it hails from.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zoz
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoz, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zoz 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 Zoz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zoz
Zoz 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,071 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,071 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 59 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 Zoz 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 | #142,108 | #142,049 | 0.0% |
| Count | 117 | 120 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zoz bearers went from 117 to 120 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,049.
FAQ
Zoz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zoz?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Zoz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Zoz?
Zoz 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 Zoz. 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 Zoz.
Has Zoz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zoz went from 117 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Zoz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoz, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Zoz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zoz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (0.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Zoz (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 Zoz mean?
A surname potentially derived from a Polish place name or nickname. 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 Zoz (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 Zoz?
Want to know how many people have the surname Zoz? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.