2000
#16,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Zylstra
A Dutch surname derived from a topographic name referring to a settlement along a creek or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,104 Americans carry the last name Zylstra. That puts it at #15,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,906 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zylstra 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
2.1K
1 in 162,906
Census rank
#15,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,835 bearers of the surname Zylstra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zylstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zylstra
The surname Zylstra originates from the Netherlands, specifically the Friesland region. Friesland, known for its distinct language and culture, has a rich history dating back to the early Middle Ages. Zylstra is a Frisian surname that is derived from the combination of the elements "Zijl" and "stra." The term "Zijl" translates to a canal or small waterway in Frisian, while "stra" is a common suffix in Frisian surnames meaning "from" or "belonging to." Together, Zylstra means "from the canal" or "dweller by the canal."
In the late medieval period, Frisian surnames often reflected the geographic features of the region. The Netherlands is renowned for its intricate network of canals and waterways, which played a vital role in transport and defense. The surname Zylstra, therefore, denotes a family that lived near such canals. Early records of the name can be found in various Frisian manuscripts and town archives, where it is spelled in several forms including Zijlstra, Sylstra, and Sijllstra, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zylstra appears in a 16th-century land register from Friesland. The register lists a certain Jan Zylstra, a farmer who owned a stretch of land adjoining a canal. Another historical figure with this surname is Pieter Zylstra (1605-1670), who served as a local magistrate in the town of Leeuwarden in Friesland. His contributions to local governance were documented in town records of the period.
Evert Zylstra, born in 1723 in the small village of Gytsjerk, pursued a career as a merchant and was noted in shipping manifests for trading agricultural products. Another notable Zylstra, Sjouke Zylstra (1789-1855), was a prominent educator and published several influential works on the Frisian language and culture, contributing to the preservation and study of the region's heritage.
Klaas Zylstra (1820-1887), an engineer and inventor, played a significant role during the Industrial Revolution in Friesland. He patented numerous improvements in agricultural machinery, which were essential for the modernization of farming practices in the region.
In conclusion, the surname Zylstra has deep roots in the Friesland region of the Netherlands, denoting a connection to the vital waterways of the area. From early farmers and merchants to educators and engineers, bearers of the Zylstra name have contributed to the cultural and economic development of Friesland throughout history. The evolving spellings and notable figures with this surname reflect its enduring legacy in Dutch heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zylstra
Among Census respondents with the surname Zylstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zylstra 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 Zylstra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 1,726
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 53
- Two or more races1.4% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zylstra
Zylstra 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
#15,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,842
+178 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 210 places
2020
#15,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,835
-7 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,016 | 1,664 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,806 | 1,842 | 0.62 | +178 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 210 places |
| 2020 | #15,388 | 1,835 | 0.61 | -7 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 418 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 Zylstra 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 | #15,806 | #15,388 | 2.6% |
| Count | 1,842 | 1,835 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.61 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zylstra bearers went from 1,842 to 1,835 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 418 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,806 to #15,388.
FAQ
Zylstra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zylstra?
Name Census estimates that about 2,104 living Americans carry the surname Zylstra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,906 residents.
How common is Zylstra?
Zylstra ranks #15,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,835 people with the surname Zylstra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,104), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zylstra.
Has Zylstra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zylstra went from 1,842 recorded bearers to 1,835. That is a decrease of 7 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,806 to #15,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Zylstra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zylstra, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Zylstra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (1,726 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zylstra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Zylstra (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 Zylstra mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a topographic name referring to a settlement along a creek or stream. 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 Zylstra (0.61 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 common is the surname Zylstra?
See how many people have the last name Zylstra on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.