Explore the Family Name Zen
The meaning of Zen
1. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 任, based on its Mandarin pronunciation, see Ren 1. 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 全, based on its pronunciation in Shanghai dialect, see Quan 2. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曾, see Zeng. 4. Chinese: Romanization of the surname 陳, based on its pronunciation in Shanghai dialect, see Chen 1. 5. Slovenian (Žen): nickname from žejen ‘thirsty’. 6. Italian (mainly Veneto): from a dialect variant of the personal name Zeno.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Zen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Zen' has seen increasing popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Zen was ranked as the 84310th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had risen to the 73464th position, indicating an increase in popularity of approximately 12.86%. The count of people with this surname also increased from 207 in 2000 to 264 in 2010, representing a growth of 27.54%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Zen per 100,000 people increased by 12.5% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #84,310 | #73,464 | 12.86% |
| Count | 207 | 264 | 27.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.09 | 12.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zen
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Zen' has varied between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identify as Asian or Pacific Islander, with a slight increase from 50.72% in 2000 to 51.52% in 2010. However, there's been a sharp decrease in the percentage identifying as two or more races, falling from 4.35% to 1.89%. The percentage of white individuals decreased slightly from 36.23% to 35.23%, while the proportion of Hispanics and Blacks with this surname saw an increase of 39.31% and 21.84% respectively. There were no recorded changes for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 50.72% | 51.52% | 1.58% |
| White | 36.23% | 35.23% | -2.76% |
| Hispanic | 4.35% | 6.06% | 39.31% |
| Black | 4.35% | 5.3% | 21.84% |
| Two or More Races | 4.35% | 1.89% | -56.55% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |