Explore the Family Name Zema

The meaning of Zema

Italian: 1. from the feminine form of the personal name Zemo, or from a variant of the female personal name Gemma. 2. alternatively, from the medieval and Calabrian Greek word zema ‘broth’, from classical Greek zeō ‘to boil’.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Zema has seen some slight changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 60,230th in terms of popularity, but that ranking slipped to 66,931 by 2010, marking an 11.13% decrease. The number of people who carry the surname also declined from 313 to 295 over the decade, translating to a 5.75% decrease. Interestingly, the proportion per 100,000 people dipped by 16.67%, moving from 0.12 to 0.10.

20002010Change
Rank#60,230#66,931-11.13%
Count313295-5.75%
Proportion per 100k0.120.1-16.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zema

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Zema, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the vast majority of individuals with this surname identified as white in both 2000 and 2010. There was a miniscule drop in this group, going from 93.93% to 93.22%. A small percentage identified as Hispanic, with this group experiencing a modest increase from 3.51% to 3.73%. In 2000, 1.6% of those with the Zema surname were identified as belonging to two or more races but this category dropped to zero by 2010. There were no individuals recorded as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either of the two censuses.

20002010Change
White93.93%93.22%-0.76%
Hispanic3.51%3.73%6.27%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.6%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%