2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zurheide
A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to someone living near a meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Zurheide. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zurheide 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Zurheide in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zurheide, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zurheide
The surname Zurheide has its roots in Germany, originating from a specific type of topographical surname which was often associated with the geographic features of a family's settlement. The name likely emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries, during a time when surnames began to become fixed and hereditary.
Zurheide is derived from the German words "zur" meaning "to the" and "Heide" meaning "heath" or "moor". Hence, the name translates to "to the heath" or "to the moor", indicating that the original bearers of the surname lived near or were associated with heathlands. This places the origins in regions of Germany where heathland was prevalent, such as Lower Saxony or North Rhine-Westphalia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar surname appears in medieval German manuscripts from the late 14th century, where a Heinrich zur Heide was mentioned in land records from Westphalia. Although this is not identical, it highlights the regional dialect variations that could have existed.
In the 15th century, another instance can be found with the name Johannes Zurheide, who was documented in tax records from the Duchy of Cleves. These records serve as evidence that the surname was well established by this time and had likely been in use for several generations.
The historical evolution of place names and their spellings often mirrored the surnames derived from them. For instance, the place named Heide is a town in northern Germany that could have influenced the surname. Such names were often spelt variably in different local dialects, contributing to slight differences in surname spellings.
Famous individuals with the surname Zurheide include Johann Zurheide, a preacher born in 1745 and known for his theological works in Westphalia. Carl Zurheide, born in 1820, was a noted linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages.
In the 20th century, Otto Zurheide, born in 1884, was a prominent figure in German politics and an advocate for social reforms. Another noteworthy person is Kurt Zurheide, born in 1910, who was a celebrated chemist and researcher in the field of organic chemistry.
The surname Zurheide provides valuable insight into the geographic and social landscapes of historical Germany, reflecting the familial connection to the heathlands and contributing to our understanding of regional nomenclature practices.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zurheide
Among Census respondents with the surname Zurheide, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zurheide 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 Zurheide surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino12.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zurheide
Zurheide 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-13 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 23,197 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,788 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 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 23,197 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 7,788 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 Zurheide 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 | #157,234 | #149,446 | 5.0% |
| Count | 103 | 110 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zurheide bearers went from 103 to 110 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 7,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #149,446.
FAQ
Zurheide surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zurheide?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Zurheide. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Zurheide?
Zurheide ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Zurheide. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Zurheide.
Has Zurheide become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zurheide went from 103 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 7 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Zurheide?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zurheide, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Zurheide in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zurheide appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Hispanic (12.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Zurheide (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 Zurheide mean?
A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to someone living near a meadow. 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 Zurheide (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 Americans have the surname Zurheide?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.