2000
#47,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 423
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Zbinden
A Swiss German surname indicating the person came from or lived near a forested area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 495 Americans carry the last name Zbinden. That puts it at #51,968 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 692,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zbinden 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
495
1 in 692,433
Census rank
#51,968
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
432
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 432 bearers of the surname Zbinden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51968th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zbinden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.0%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zbinden
The surname Zbinden originates from Switzerland, a country known for its diverse linguistic and cultural heritage. The name first emerged in the medieval period, particularly in the Canton of Bern, an area known for its Alemannic German-speaking population. The name Zbinden is derived from the Alemannic dialect, and it is believed to have customarily referred to someone who resided in a valley or a low-lying area, pulling from the old German word "bin," which loosely translates to "within" or "among."
The earliest recorded instances of the Zbinden surname appear in the 13th century. One of the first mentions of this name is found in historical records from 1292, where a Rudolphus Zbinden appears in a tax register in the region of Emmental. These records were meticulously maintained and provide insight into the socio-economic status of individuals carrying the surname.
One prominent historical figure bearing the surname was Hans Zbinden, born around 1450, who held a notable position as a town council member in Bern. He participated actively in various civic duties, contributing to the local governance of the period. The name also appears in religious contexts, with records indicating that a Father Johann Zbinden was a respected parish priest in the late 16th century, specifically around 1580, in the small village of Guggisberg.
Throughout the centuries, the name maintained its presence with minimal variation in spelling, largely due to the relatively isolated nature of the Bernese Oberland region. In the 17th century, a well-documented individual, Maria Zbinden, born in 1632, managed significant agricultural estates and was known for her generous support of the local church in Frutigen. Her contributions to the local economy and the church's coffers are recorded in municipal records from 1675.
Another noteworthy Zbinden was Samuel Zbinden, who was born in 1725. He gained prominence as an early industrialist who established one of the first textile workshops in the Bernese Highlands, which provided employment and stimulated the local economy. His activities are detailed in early 18th-century commercial records preserved in the Bern State Archives.
More recently, the surname gained some literary fame through the works of Jürg Zbinden, a well-regarded Swiss author and playwright born in 1936. His contributions to Swiss literature include several plays and novels that reflect the culture and traditions of the Bernese people. His works have been archived in Swiss national libraries and continue to be studied for their cultural significance.
The surname Zbinden remains distinctly Swiss, deeply rooted in the historical and geographical tapestry of the Canton of Bern. Through centuries, individuals bearing this surname have played various roles, from civic leaders and clergy to industrial pioneers and literary figures, each contributing to the rich history of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zbinden
Among Census respondents with the surname Zbinden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.0%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zbinden 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 Zbinden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 383
- Hispanic or Latino10.0% · 43
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zbinden
Zbinden 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
#49,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 421
-2 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,614 places
2020
#51,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 432
+11 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,210 | 423 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,824 | 421 | 0.14 | -2 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 2,614 places |
| 2020 | #51,968 | 432 | 0.14 | +11 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 2,144 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 Zbinden 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 | #49,824 | #51,968 | -4.3% |
| Count | 421 | 432 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zbinden bearers went from 421 to 432 (+2.6% change). The surname moved down 2,144 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,824 to #51,968.
FAQ
Zbinden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zbinden?
Name Census estimates that about 495 living Americans carry the surname Zbinden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 692,433 residents.
How common is Zbinden?
Zbinden ranks #51,968 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 432 people with the surname Zbinden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (495), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Zbinden.
Has Zbinden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zbinden went from 421 recorded bearers to 432. That is an increase of 11 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,824 to #51,968.
What does the Census say about the background of Zbinden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zbinden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.0%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Zbinden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (383 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zbinden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (10.0%), Black (0.5%). 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 Zbinden (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 Zbinden mean?
A Swiss German surname indicating the person came from or lived near a forested area. 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 Zbinden (0.14 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 have the surname Zbinden?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.