2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zusi
A surname derived from the Slavic word meaning "near" or "neighboring".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Zusi. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zusi 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Zusi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zusi, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zusi
The surname Zusi finds its roots in Eastern Europe, predominantly within the regions of what is today known as Poland and Slovenia. The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, a period marked by significant linguistic and cultural transitions in this part of Europe. The name may derive from a Slavic word or term, potentially linked to a location, profession, or characteristic trait of the early bearers. The involvement of such regions hints at a Slavic linguistic origin, where surnames often reflect local geography or occupations.
Zusi may have evolved from older spellings such as Žusek or Zuzić. It is common in Slavic onomastics for surnames to adapt and change over centuries due to regional dialects and migrations. One of the earliest mentions of surnames similar to Zusi can be found in the records of the Kingdom of Hungary, which included large Slavic territories. A 15th-century manuscript references a Jan Zusek, a local landowner in what is now Slovakia. This provides an indirect link to the origins of the surname Zusi.
The name appears in various ecclesiastical and civil documents throughout Eastern Europe. For instance, a 17th-century church record housed in Krakow mentions a Michal Zusi, a miller by trade, who was noted for his charitable contributions to the local parish. This indicates the presence of the name in Poland during that period and highlights its use among common folk and tradesmen.
Another notable figure was Frantisek Zusi, born in 1743 and a known political figure in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His prominence in local governance in the late 18th century adds to the historical footprint of the surname. Frantisek's contributions included advocating for administrative reforms and better local governance, marking him as a significant figure bearing the surname.
An interesting find is a legal document from 1821, where Anna Zusi, a resident of Ljubljana, Slovenia, is noted as a litigant in a property dispute. This mention provides insight into the surname's presence and legal standings during early 19th-century Slovenia. Her case, which revolved around inheritance issues, underscores the societal roles and responsibilities carried by individuals with the surname.
In the arts, Józef Zusi, born in 1847 and deceased in 1912, was a well-known painter in the region that is today southern Poland. His works, influenced by regional folk art and religious themes, gained respect and were displayed in various local galleries. Józef's artistic legacy continues to be celebrated in regional art history.
A more modern historical figure, Viktor Zusi, born in 1901 and a noted botanist, made significant contributions to the study of Eastern European flora. His research and published works remain a valuable resource for botanists today, making Viktor a distinguished bearer of the Zusi surname into the 20th century.
Throughout history, the surname Zusi has seen numerous spelling changes and adaptations, influenced by regional languages and socio-political shifts. These historical mentions and records depict a surname embedded in the fabric of Eastern European history, with bearers contributing to various facets of society from governance to the arts and sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zusi
Among Census respondents with the surname Zusi, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zusi 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 Zusi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 116
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zusi
Zusi 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,089 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+10 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 2,089 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 7,038 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 Zusi 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 | #148,347 | #141,309 | 4.7% |
| Count | 111 | 121 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zusi bearers went from 111 to 121 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 7,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #141,309.
FAQ
Zusi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zusi?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Zusi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Zusi?
Zusi ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Zusi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Zusi.
Has Zusi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zusi went from 111 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 10 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Zusi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zusi, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (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 Zusi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zusi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Hispanic (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 Zusi (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 Zusi mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word meaning "near" or "neighboring". 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 Zusi (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 are called Zusi?
Want to know how common the surname Zusi is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.