Zahn
A German surname meaning “tooth,” probably first used as a nickname for someone with a noticeable tooth or tooth-related feature.
The #5,695 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,730 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Zahn is the German word for “tooth.” As a surname, it was most likely formed as a nickname, referring to a distinctive tooth, a tooth-like shape, or some other conspicuous physical trait. Older surname dictionaries also connect it with other nickname surnames built from body parts, such as forms meaning “big tooth” or “wobbly tooth,” which supports this descriptive origin.
History
German surname scholars in the 19th and early 20th centuries consistently treated Zahn as a descriptive byname rather than an occupational name. It appears in German-speaking areas and later spread more widely through migration, including into North America. In older references it is grouped with other body-part surnames such as Kopf, Faust, and Nagel.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several old surname dictionaries gloss Zahn simply as “tooth,” making it one of the more transparent German surnames on record.
From the historical record
“-zahl z. Zagel. Zahn III. doch wohl nach einem irgendwie ungewöhnlichen Zahne, vgl. lat. Deute, Dentatus (Pott). In mehreren Zss. : Berxahn (-= Eberzahn) ; Weibexahn (= Wackel-), vgl. Scharfzahn”
— Die deutschen FamiliennamenNotable people named Zahn
- Steve Zahn (b. 1967)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.