2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zylman
A surname derived from the Dutch word "zijlman" meaning a canal worker or dike-reeve.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Zylman. 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 Zylman 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 Zylman 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 Zylman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zylman
The surname Zylman finds its origins in Central Europe, with the name likely emerging in the medieval period around the 12th to 14th centuries. It is believed to have originated from regions that are today part of Poland and Germany. The etymology of Zylman suggests it could be derived from an occupational or descriptive name.
The root word “Zyl” may have ties to the Old High German word “Zil,” meaning goal or objective, which could indicate someone who was a guide or leader. Alternatively, it might relate to the Polish word “zyl,” which translates to vein or sinew, potentially referring to a robust or strong individual. The suffix “-man” is common in Germanic surnames and generally signifies a man involved in a particular occupation or activity.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of a similar surname can be found in a 15th-century Polish manuscript, where a Jakub Zylman is listed as a landowner in the region of Mazovia, born in 1432. Another historical reference appears in the German records, noting a Heinrich Zylman, a merchant in Hamburg around 1520.
Further mentions occur in the 16th century, including a Stephan Zylman, a noted craftsman in Kraków, born in 1545, who contributed to the town’s artisanal guild. In the 17th century, there was Jan Zylman, who served as a municipal clerk in Poznań, born in 1627, which underscores the name's persistence in administrative roles.
Moving into the late 18th century, we see references to Ludwig Zylman, born in 1775, a Prussian officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. Such historical figures highlight the geographical spread and occupational diversity of those bearing the surname.
In summary, Zylman is a surname with deep roots in the Central European region, particularly within parts of modern-day Poland and Germany, with its origins tracing back to various significant historical documentation and records spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zylman
Among Census respondents with the surname Zylman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zylman 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 Zylman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zylman
Zylman 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,151 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 1,151 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Zylman 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zylman bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Zylman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zylman?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Zylman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Zylman?
Zylman 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 Zylman. 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 Zylman.
Has Zylman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zylman went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Zylman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zylman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Zylman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zylman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (10.9%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Zylman (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 Zylman mean?
A surname derived from the Dutch word "zijlman" meaning a canal worker or dike-reeve. 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 Zylman (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 Zylman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Zylman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.