2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zubel
A surname possibly derived from a dialect word meaning "boar" or "pig".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Zubel. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zubel 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Zubel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zubel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zubel
The surname Zubel has its origins in Eastern Europe, with strong ties to Poland and Germany. The name is believed to have emerged in the areas of Silesia and Galicia around the late Middle Ages, approximately the 14th to 15th centuries. It is derived from older Slavic words, possibly connoting elements connected to natural features or occupations. The precise etymology is somewhat elusive, but it may relate to terms resembling "zupa" (soup) in Polish, hinting at a potential connection to food or cooking, though this etymology is debated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zubel can be traced back to medieval manuscripts from the region. For example, a 15th-century Polish record mentions a family of this name involved in local governance in what is now Southern Poland. Over time, the name spread westward into Germany, altered slightly in spelling and form. Variants such as Zuebel or Zubelz appeared in different documents, indicating the surname's flexibility in linguistic adaptation.
Among the notable bearers of the surname, Jan Zubel (born 1523, died 1591) was a renowned local official in Kraków, Poland. His contributions to civic administration are documented in town records, and he was known for his efforts to modernize the city's infrastructure. Another significant figure, Friedrich Zubel (born 1658, died 1714), was a German merchant whose trading routes extended across the Habsburg Empire. His name is frequently mentioned in commercial logs and correspondences of the era.
In the 18th century, we find Maria Zubel (born 1731, died 1794), an influential figure in the Silesian community for her charitable work and cultural contributions, particularly in the field of education. Her legacy includes the establishment of one of the region's first schools for girls, documented in local chronicles and church records.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Emil Zubel (born 1802, died 1867), an academic and early advocate for the burgeoning field of natural sciences in Germany. His published works, especially in the realms of botany and zoology, earned him a distinguished place in German scientific circles, as cited in period scientific journals.
Around the same period, we encounter Ludwik Zubel (born 1845, died 1918), a notable composer and musician, whose contributions to Eastern European classical music were profound. His compositions, some of which were preserved in national archives, reflect a rich cultural heritage and have been performed in various European concert halls.
Through centuries of history, the Zubel surname has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability, with significant contributions in various fields from governance and commerce to science and the arts. The legacy of this name remains etched in historical records, reflecting the diverse and multifaceted impact of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zubel
Among Census respondents with the surname Zubel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zubel 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 Zubel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino12.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zubel
Zubel 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,312 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-8 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,786 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,312 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 7,786 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 Zubel 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 | #143,149 | #150,935 | -5.4% |
| Count | 116 | 108 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zubel bearers went from 116 to 108 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 7,786 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,935.
FAQ
Zubel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zubel?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Zubel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Zubel?
Zubel ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Zubel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Zubel.
Has Zubel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zubel went from 116 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Zubel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zubel, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zubel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zubel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Hispanic (12.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Zubel (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 Zubel mean?
A surname possibly derived from a dialect word meaning "boar" or "pig". 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 Zubel (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 share the surname Zubel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.