Zähl

Zähl is a German term that can refer to both a verb-derived stem and a hereditary surname. As a verb form, it is the stem of zählen, meaning to count. In present tense it appears as ich zähle, du zählst, er zählt, with a vowel change from a to ä in the stem. The imperative form to address someone to count is Zähl! For example: Zähl bis zehn. The noun Zahl meaning “number” is closely related to this verb.

As a surname, Zähl is a German-language family name. It is typically written with an umlaut on the a and is believed to derive from the same root as zähl, zahl, or zählen, possibly indicating an occupational origin (a person who counted or tallied) or a toponymic/linguistic variant. It is relatively uncommon and is most often found in Germany; occurrences in Austria and Switzerland are also documented.

In onomastic studies, Zähl illustrates how German surnames can arise from verb stems and how umlauted forms reflect irregular vowel changes in the verb’s inflected forms. The name remains primarily associated with German-speaking regions, and its usage today is largely linguistic and genealogical rather than widespread in common contemporary references.