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Zeller Family History

Zeller Surname Meaning

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).

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.

Americanized form of Slovenian Zalar 1 or Compare Zellar.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Zeller family from?

You can see how Zeller families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Zeller family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Zeller families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 32 Zeller families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 67% of all the recorded Zeller's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Zeller families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Zeller surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Zeller ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Zeller. 13% of Zeller men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Zeller women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Zeller were Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Zeller | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    13%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Zeller family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Zeller. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Zeller census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Zeller

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Zeller. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Zeller immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Zeller. For the veterans among your Zeller ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Zeller military records

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