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

Zumbahlen, 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 Zumbahlen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zumbahlen in America

Zumbahlen is the 82908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zumbahlen surname appeared 227 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 Zumbahlen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zumbahlen 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 Zumbahlen

The surname Zumbahlen has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in Switzerland and southern Germany. The name is believed to have originated from the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century, a period marked by the growing usage of hereditary surnames for identification purposes. It likely derives from the German word zum, meaning "to the" or "at the," and a specific location or feature, which may have been a local landmark or a family's dwelling place.

The earliest references to the name can be traced back to historical records and manuscripts from the region. One such reference is found in a 14th-century Swiss land registry, documenting families and their respective holdings, where a “von den umbahlen” is mentioned. This suggests that the surname originally denoted someone living near or associated with a particular area, possibly characterized by undulating terrain or small hills. The name’s evolution from descriptive phrases such as “zum Buhlen” (at or to the small hills) is a plausible theory, considering the tendency of surnames to simplify over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zumbahlen appears in a church register from the early 1500s in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. In these records, Hans Zumbahlen is noted as a landowner and a respected member of the local community. His lineage can be traced through subsequent generations, showing the name’s endurance in the region over centuries.

By the 17th century, the surname Zumbahlen had spread to other German-speaking areas. A notable figure from this period is Matthias Zumbahlen, born in 1643 and recorded in the archival documents of Württemberg. Matthias was a blacksmith by trade, a profession that often found its practitioners recognized in local records due to their essential contributions to the community.

Into the 18th century, the Zumbahlen family name continued to appear in various records, indicating a spread into neighboring regions. One such individual is Elisabeth Zumbahlen, born in 1710, who is listed in the marriage records of Zurich, Switzerland. Her marriage to a local farmer signified the integration of the Zumbahlen family into broader social and economic networks.

Another significant historical figure bearing the surname is Johann Zumbahlen, born in 1789 in Alsace, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, now France. Johann became a noted mercenary, serving across Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. His military service is documented in enlistment and discharge papers, reflecting the mobility and diverse paths taken by bearers of the surname.

In the mid-19th century, we find records of Friedrich Zumbahlen, born 1823, who emigrated to the United States. He settled in Ohio, where he worked as a farmer and became a naturalized citizen. His descendants carried the surname into the new world, establishing a new chapter in the Zumbahlen name's history.

Through these various records and historical references, the surname Zumbahlen has shown both its deep-rooted Germanic origins and its adaptation to changing social and geographical landscapes. The name remains a link to medieval Europe, a period marked by societal transformations that gave rise to the modern system of surnames we recognize today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zumbahlen

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

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 Zumbahlen 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 Zumbahlen 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 Zumbahlen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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