Explore the Family Name Zeller
The meaning of Zeller
1. German and Dutch: habitational name for someone from any of various places called Zelle or Celle (in particular Celle near Hanover), or named with German or Dutch Zelle ‘cell’ (for instance Appenzell, Switzerland), all derived ultimately from Latin cella ‘cell, small room’; or a topographic name from this word, denoting someone who lived near the site of a hermit’s cell. This surname is also found in France (mainly Alsace, Lorraine, and Nord). 2. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from German Zelle ‘small workshop’ + the agent suffix -er for someone who owned or was employed at a Zelle. Among Jews it may also have been an adoption of the German surname. 3. Americanized form of Slovenian Zalar 1 or 2. Compare Zellar 2. History: This surname (see 1 above) is listed along with its altered (Frenchified) forms Cellier and Sellaire in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors. The Huguenot ancestor was Jacques (de/von) Zeller from Switzerland, who moved to the then French-controlled town of Zweibrücken (French name Deux-Ponts) in the Palatinate, where in 1683 he married Clothilde de Valois, a French noblewoman. It were his widow Clothilde and their sons Jean Henri (alias Johann Heinrich) and Jean (alias Johannes) Zeller who came to North America via England in 1710. In the 1720s they finally settled in PA, where the fortified house (known as Fort Zeller or Heinrich Zeller House), built in Lebanon County in 1745, still stands.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Zeller in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Zeller saw a slight fluctuation in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Zeller ranked as the 3,286th most common last name, which changed to the 3,370th position in 2010, marking a drop of 2.56%. However, the count of individuals with this last name increased by 5.89%, from 10,006 to 10,595. The proportion per 100,000 people decreased slightly by 3.23% in the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,286 | #3,370 | -2.56% |
| Count | 10,006 | 10,595 | 5.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.71 | 3.59 | -3.23% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zeller
Regarding the ethnicity of those bearing the Zeller surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates a few changes from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of Zellers identifying as White decreased by 1.20% to 94.93%. On the other hand, those recognizing themselves as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 49.69%, albeit still making up a rather small fraction at 2.44% of all Zellers. Individuals who identify as having two or more ethnicities increased by 31.96%. Minor changes were observed in the percentages of Zellers identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.08% | 94.93% | -1.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.44% | 49.69% |
| Two or More Races | 0.97% | 1.28% | 31.96% |
| Black | 0.52% | 0.5% | -3.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.49% | -2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.3% | 0.36% | 20% |
Zeller ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Zeller is French & German, which comprises 38.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (33.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (7.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Korean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 38.9% |
| British & Irish | 33.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 7.9% |
| Other | 20.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Zeller
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Zeller have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 72.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 72.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 72.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 71.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
What Zeller haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Zeller is R-L20, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L20 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-P109 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schmitz, Groves, Bauer, Weber, Myers, Wolf, Cramer, Miller, Keller, Becker.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Zeller surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Zeller have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Zeller" Surname 44.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Zeller" Surname 20.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Zeller" Surname 24.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Zeller" Surname 20.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Zeller?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Zeller are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition