Explore the Family Name Zehner
The meaning of Zehner
German: occupational name for an official responsible for collecting, on behalf of the lord of the manor, tithes of agricultural produce owed as rent. The more prosperous tenants had to contribute wine and grain, those with smaller holdings fruit, vegetables, milk, cheese, beer, and poultry. The Middle High German term for this official was zehendære, a derivative of zehende ‘tenth part, tithe’ (Old High German zehanto, from zehan ‘ten’). Compare Zenor.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Zehner in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Zehner has seen a slight decrease in its rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 12,213 to 13,065, marking a drop by 6.98%. However, the count of individuals carrying the Zehner name slightly increased during the same period, going from 2,339 to 2,350, a rise of 0.47%. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people also declined marginally by 8.05%, shifting from 0.87 to 0.8.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,213 | #13,065 | -6.98% |
| Count | 2,339 | 2,350 | 0.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.87 | 0.8 | -8.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zehner
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those with the Zehner surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 44.68%, and those identifying with two or more races saw a significant jump of 82.56%. The majority of Zehners identified as White, but this percentage decreased slightly from 95.21% to 93.83%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Hispanic Zehners increased by 33.04%. Those identifying as Black saw a modest increase of 1.95%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a 15.38% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.21% | 93.83% | -1.45% |
| Black | 2.05% | 2.09% | 1.95% |
| Two or More Races | 0.86% | 1.57% | 82.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.15% | 1.53% | 33.04% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.68% | 44.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.26% | 0.3% | 15.38% |