Explore the Family Name Zahniser

The meaning of Zahniser

Americanized form of German Zahneiser: metonymic occupational name for a person who provided iron teeth as a replacement, from Middle High German zan(t) ‘tooth’ + īser ‘iron, ironworker’. Alternatively, a nickname for a dentist, from a derivative of Zahneisen, an iron instrument of his trade hanging in front of his house. The surname Zahneiser is no longer found in Germany.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Zahniser in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Zahniser has seen a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 40,761 in terms of popularity, with approximately 505 people carrying the name. By 2010, the rank had risen to 40,204, and the count of individuals with the surname increased by 7.92% to 545. However, the proportion per 100,000 decreased slightly by 5.26%.

20002010Change
Rank#40,761#40,2041.37%
Count5055457.92%
Proportion per 100k0.190.18-5.26%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zahniser

In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the vast majority of those with the Zahniser surname identify as White. This ethnic identity represented 97.62% in 2000 and 97.25% in 2010, showing a minimal decrease of 0.38%. The percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races also saw a minor reduction from 0.99% in 2000 to 0.92% in 2010. The data indicated no Zahnisers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native during both years.

20002010Change
White97.62%97.25%-0.38%
Two or More Races0.99%0.92%-7.07%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%