Surnames That Begin with "Z"

Most Common Surname Beginning with "Z": Zimmerman

Zimmerman is notable because it’s the first surname recorded in Germany and is a patronymic of Zimmer and describes a carpenter. Carpenters were very important in medieval times, and this might explain why it was the first on record as a surname. Early records indicate that Zimmerman was a surname as early as 1200, when surnames started gaining popularity throughout European countries. After 1715, when the Kings of Hanover ruled England, German immigration was encouraged, and Zimmerman became a popular surname in America, especially in German speaking colonies. Zimmerman was also found in Britain and in British colonies in America, although some are thought to have changed Zimmerman to Carpenter once in America.

Click the range below that corresponds to your family surname:

Click the letter below that corresponds to your family surname:

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z