Zylberberg last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zylberberg

A Yiddish surname derived from the German words for silver (Silber) and mountain (Berg), indicating an origin from a place name.

Zylberberg, 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 Zylberberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zylberberg in America

Zylberberg is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zylberberg surname appeared 123 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 Zylberberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zylberberg 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 136449 141788 -3.84%
Count 123 108 12.99%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.04 0.00%

The history of the last name Zylberberg

The surname Zylberberg has its origins in the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Central and Eastern Europe. Emerging primarily in Poland and parts of Germany during the late Middle Ages, the name is of Yiddish origin. Yiddish, a High German-derived language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews, combines elements of German, Hebrew, and Slavic languages. Zylberberg derives from the Yiddish words "zylber" meaning "silver" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill."

Reflecting the traditional Ashkenazi Jewish practice of using surnames to indicate trades, occupations, or notable family characteristics, Zylberberg likely signified a family engaged in silver-smithing or living near a mountain or hill associated with silver. This surname points to a historical connection with the Jewish diaspora's economic activities, especially trade and craftsmanship.

Historical references to the surname appear sporadically in various forms in Jewish community records, including birth registers, marriage contracts, and tombstones. One of the earliest mentions of a similar derivation can be found in the records of the Jewish community of Krakow in the 17th century, where the name was sometimes spelled Silberberg. Manuscripts like these provide glimpses into the Jewish presence and activities in these regions during that era.

Among the earliest recorded instances of the Zylberberg surname is the entry of Eliezer Zylberberg from Warsaw, a silversmith registered in the 1765 census of Jews in Poland. This record underscores the occupational link that likely inspired the surname.

Another historical figure is Rabbi Menachem Zylberberg (1831-1905), who was an esteemed religious leader in Galicia, a region which straddles modern-day Poland and Ukraine. His leadership and scholarly contributions are well-documented in Jewish historical literature.

Meyer Zylberberg, a Jewish merchant from Lublin, Poland, left records dating back to the mid-19th century, where he was noted for his involvement in the local trade and community affairs. Much of his documentation comes from tax registers and community lists.

An important modern reference is Israel Zylberberg (1907-1981), a notable historian and writer from Warsaw, Poland. He survived the Holocaust and later contributed significantly to the documentation of Jewish history and the Shoah.

In the arts, Sonia Zylberberg (1918-1997), an actress of Polish descent, gained recognition in the Yiddish theater circuit in Eastern Europe. Her work helped preserve and promote Yiddish culture through the mid-20th century.

These examples illustrate the diverse contributions of individuals bearing the Zylberberg surname across various fields such as religion, commerce, history, and the arts. From its humble beginnings as a trade-related identifier in Ashkenazi Jewish communities to its presence in historical records and notable personalities, the surname Zylberberg holds a rich tapestry of cultural and occupational significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zylberberg

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

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 Zylberberg was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 75.61% 93
Non-Hispanic Black Only 4.88% 6
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 19.51% 24

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 Zylberberg has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 75.61% 79.63% -5.18%
Black 4.88% 4.63% 5.26%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Hispanic 19.51% 15.74% 21.39%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Zylberberg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 21, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zylberberg-surname-popularity/.

"Zylberberg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zylberberg-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 July, 2025

Zylberberg last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zylberberg-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.