2000
#7,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,858
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Zeman
A Czech and Jewish occupational surname referring to a land owner, village elder, or farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,190 Americans carry the last name Zeman. That puts it at #8,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,803 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zeman 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
4.2K
1 in 81,803
Census rank
#8,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,654 bearers of the surname Zeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zeman
The surname ZEMAN is of Czech origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Czech word "zeman," which referred to a lower noble or landed gentry in medieval times. The name likely originated in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were part of the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ZEMAN can be found in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a certain "Zemanus de Hrusovan" is mentioned in a document from 1365, suggesting the existence of the name in that region during that time period.
One notable bearer of the surname ZEMAN was Jan Zeman (c. 1380-1422), a Hussite military leader and rebel during the Hussite Wars in Bohemia. He played a significant role in the early stages of the Hussite rebellion against the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire.
Another historically significant individual with the surname ZEMAN was Václav Zeman (1772-1835), a Czech painter and engraver who was a notable figure in the Biedermeier art movement. His works often depicted everyday scenes and landscapes, capturing the spirit of the time.
In the 19th century, Karel Zeman (1830-1917) was a prominent Czech architect who designed several notable buildings in Prague, including the National Theater and the Rudolfinum concert hall. His architectural contributions had a lasting impact on the city's skyline and cultural landscape.
Moving into the 20th century, Karel Zeman (1910-1989) was a renowned Czech filmmaker and pioneer of special effects cinematography. He is best known for his iconic films "Journey to the Beginning of Time" (1955) and "The Fabulous Baron Munchausen" (1962), which showcased his innovative techniques and imaginative storytelling.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname ZEMAN, highlighting its rich heritage and connections to various fields, from military leadership and art to architecture and filmmaking.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Zeman 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 Zeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 3,388
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 122
- Two or more races2.2% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 36
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zeman
Zeman 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
#8,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,843
-15 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 615 places
2020
#8,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,654
-189 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,957 | 3,858 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,572 | 3,843 | 1.30 | -15 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 615 places |
| 2020 | #8,623 | 3,654 | 1.22 | -189 bearers (-4.9%) | 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 Zeman 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 | #8,572 | #8,623 | -0.6% |
| Count | 3,843 | 3,654 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.22 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zeman bearers went from 3,843 to 3,654 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,572 to #8,623.
FAQ
Zeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zeman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,190 living Americans carry the surname Zeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,803 residents.
How common is Zeman?
Zeman ranks #8,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,654 people with the surname Zeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Zeman.
Has Zeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zeman went from 3,843 recorded bearers to 3,654. That is a decrease of 189 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,572 to #8,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Zeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Zeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (3,388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Zeman (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 Zeman mean?
A Czech and Jewish occupational surname referring to a land owner, village elder, or farmer. 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 Zeman (1.22 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 Zeman?
You can see how many people have the surname Zeman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.