2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zumberge
A German surname indicating someone who lived near a place where lime (Zumberge) was produced or processed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Zumberge. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zumberge 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Zumberge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zumberge, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zumberge
The surname Zumberge traces its origins to Germany, specifically to regions that are now part of modern-day Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, potentially as early as the 13th or 14th centuries. Historically, it is derived from the German words zum, meaning "to the," and berg, meaning "mountain" or "hill." As such, Zumberge could be interpreted as "to the mountain" or "to the hill." This nomenclature was often associated with geographical features, indicating that the original bearers of the surname lived near or on a mountain or hill.
In medieval manuscripts and records, variations of the surname appear, such as Zum Berge and Zum Berge. These records show that the name was linked with several locations across southern Germany, where mountainous terrain is common. One early recorded instance is from a 14th-century Bavarian land registry, documenting a Heinrich Zum Berge who lived in a mountainous village near modern-day Stuttgart.
The name further appears in a series of 15th-century church records from the Black Forest region. An important figure from these records is Johann Zumberge, born in 1425, who was a well-respected local farmer and landowner. In the 16th century, another notable figure, Kaspar Zum Berge, born in 1523, served as a magistrate in a village close to Heidelberg, where he maintained detailed court records that offer insights into the local governance of the time.
As families moved and spread, the name began to appear in other parts of Europe. By the 17th century, the surname had reached the Low Countries. Records from a 1654 census in what is now the Netherlands include references to an Anna Zumberge who worked as a midwife in a small town near Utrecht, providing valuable community services in an era where medical practitioners were scarce.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, migration carried the Zumberge surname to the New World. One prominent figure, Friedrich Zumberge, born in 1789, emigrated to the United States in 1820. He became a well-known farmer and entrepreneur in Pennsylvania, helping to establish a community in the area now known as Zumbergeville, a small testament to the family's legacy in America.
Throughout history, several Zumberges have made significant contributions to their fields. For instance, James Zumberge, born in 1923, was a distinguished American geophysicist and university administrator. His work on Antarctic ice dynamics and continental drift theories brought scientific advancements and garnered him prestigious recognition until his death in 1992.
Overall, the surname Zumberge illustrates a rich tapestry of geographical significance, medieval roots, and notable individuals who have carried the name across centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zumberge
Among Census respondents with the surname Zumberge, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zumberge 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 Zumberge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zumberge
Zumberge 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-4 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,049 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-7 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 11,049 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 9,146 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 Zumberge 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 | #131,379 | #140,525 | -7.0% |
| Count | 129 | 122 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zumberge bearers went from 129 to 122 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 9,146 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #140,525.
FAQ
Zumberge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zumberge?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Zumberge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Zumberge?
Zumberge ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Zumberge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Zumberge.
Has Zumberge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zumberge went from 129 recorded bearers to 122. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Zumberge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zumberge, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are 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 Zumberge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zumberge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), 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 Zumberge (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 Zumberge mean?
A German surname indicating someone who lived near a place where lime (Zumberge) was produced or processed. 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 Zumberge (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 Zumberge?
Find out how many people have the last name Zumberge on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.