Surname Zebulon - Meaning and Origin
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Zebulon: What does the surname Zebulon mean?
The last name Zebulon is believed to refer to the biblical reference of the town of Zebulon, which is mentioned on multiple occasions in the Bible. The name Zebulon is generally interpreted to mean "habitation" or "dwelling place" in Hebrew. This origin has remained consistent, although variant spellings have emerged throughout time - such as Zabulon, Zaboulon, Zevulun, and Zabulun, just to name a few.
Historical records suggest that the surname Zebulon first entered the lands of Britain and Ireland as early as the 12th century. It's probable that during this time, a few families with this surname set sail from France in search of a new life. The original immigrants of this Zebulon surname could have hailed from the town of Zebulon, France. From there, the Zebulon surname spread throughout Europe and eventually the world.
As time passed, the Zebulon surname has been taken up by many different cultures with many variants of the name being formed. There have been instances where the name was used as an occupational name referring to a miner working in a coal mine. Alternatively, the surname might have referred to someone living near a dwelling or a town - such as the biblical town of Zebulon.
No matter how the surname has changed over the centuries, the original meaning of Zebulon has stayed true - it is a referential term denoting either a place of occupancy or the biblical town of Zebulon. The Zebulon family holds a rich history that can be traced back as far as the 12th century and across many cultures.
Order DNA origin analysisZebulon: Where does the name Zebulon come from?
The last name Zebulon is not particularly common today, but it does appear in some English-speaking countries, especially the United States. Based on surname prevalence data, Zebulon is an uncommon last name in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It is comparatively more common in the United States than the UK - in 2019, the US had a population of 330 million and it is estimated that 645 people had the last name Zebulon.
In the United States, the greatest concentration of the surname Zebulon is in the state of New Jersey. 418 people carrying the name were recorded there in 1880. Mississippi is the second-highest concentration of residents with the last name, with 144 people recorded residing in the state in 1880.
Outside of the United States, the name Zebulon appears to be quite rare. In the UK, only a handful of people are thought to be carrying the name. In fact, the name is so rare that it hasn’t been registered within the official records of the Office for National Statistics in England and Wales since 1997.
The origin of the Zebulon surname is believed to be Hebrew. It is from a biblical origin and is likely derived from the Hebrew name Zebulon, which is derived from the word zebul, meaning "dwelling". It is likely to have been adopted by settlers in the New World via early European immigrants, making it more commonplace in the United States than other places.
Variations of the surname Zebulon
The surname Zebulon is derived from the Hebrew name Zevulun and is most commonly found amongst people of Jewish descent. Variants of the surname Zebulon include Zevulon, Zevulun, Zevulum, Zebulum, Zebulun, Zebulum, and Zevul.
It is believed that the Zebulon surname originated in Eastern Europe, particularly in the Ukraine and Belarus. Zebulon is a Hebrew name meaning glow, shine, bless, or increase. It is a popular Jewish surname, and is also a biblical name from the book of Genesis.
In addition to the original spelling, Zebulon, the surname has also been spelled Zevelon, Zebulan, and Zeboulon, and variants of the surname can be found in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Zebulon can also be found in its original form as a forename, ie. Zebulon, Zevulun, Zevulum, Zebulum, Zebulun, Zebulum, Zevul. Other surnames that are variants of Zebulon are Zabar, Zebe, Zeff, Zeffla, Sheffla, Zulik, and Zilka.
The popularity of the surname has increased considerably over the years and its variants can be found across many cultures throughout the world. Zebulon is usually a given name when used as a surname, and many people choose to drop the Zebulon and simply use the initial Z. This has resulted in a range of other surname spellings and variants such as Zeble, Zebley, and Zebleu.
Famous people with the name Zebulon
- Zebulon Pike: Famous explorer and brigadier general in the US army. He made several explorations into the Midwestern United States, including Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. He became celebrated for his discovery of Pike’s Peak in Colorado.
- Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr.: Son of Zebulon Pike who also had a successful military career. He was a Major General in the Union Army and fought in the American Civil War.
- Zebulon Vance: A Confederate States of America politician and Confederate military officer. He was also a Congressman from North Carolina. He was the governor of North Carolina during the Civil War and a senator in the United States Senate after the war.
- Zebulon Brockway: American prison reformer and business executive in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was a leader in the prison reform movement and advocated for progressive reforms in a variety of prisons.
- Zebulon J. Butler: Major in the Union army during the American Civil War. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, he served in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War.
- Zebulon McCorkle: American politician who served in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly. He was a Greenback-Labor Party, a third-party movement during the late nineteenth century.
- Zebulon Ellsworth: American farmer, soldier and pioneer. He served a brief stint in the Civil War but was captured by his own men when they mistook him to be a Confederate officer. He was later released as a prisoner of war.
- Zebulon Layman: Member of the United States Congress, representing the Sixth Congressional District of Louisiana. He was the only Democrat to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives during the period of Reconstruction.
- Zebulon Baird Vance: Confederate Army officer and later, a North Carolina politician. He served as a Brigadier General in the Civil War, and fought in a number of major battles, including the Battle of Chancellorsville.
- Zebulon G. Vining: American soldier in the Union army during the Civil War. He served as a brigade commander and participated in the Siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Nashville. He was appointed brevet brigadier general in 1865.