Find out how popular the last name Frahm is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Frahm.

Frahm, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Frahm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frahm in America

Frahm is the 11759th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frahm surname appeared 2,664 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Frahm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frahm to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Frahm

The surname Frahm originates from northern Germany, particularly the regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, approximately between the 12th and 15th centuries. The name Frahm is derived from the Low German word "vrame," which means "stranger" or "outsider." This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to someone who had relocated from another area or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Frahm can be found in the Mecklenburg Monastic Records from the 14th century. These records documented various transactions, contracts, and legal proceedings involving individuals with the surname Frahm. It is worth noting that the spelling of the name varied slightly during that time, with variations such as Vrahm, Vraem, and Framme appearing in different documents.

In the 16th century, the name Frahm appeared in the records of the city of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic trading center in northern Germany. Notable individuals with this surname during that period include Hans Frahm, a merchant and member of the city council, who lived from 1520 to 1587.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Frahm surname continued to be prevalent in northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, and Holstein. One notable figure from this era was Johann Frahm, a Lutheran pastor and theologian born in 1675 in Lübeck. He served as the vicar of St. Peter's Church in Hamburg and published several influential theological works.

In the 19th century, the Frahm surname gained recognition beyond the borders of northern Germany. Johann Jakob Frahm, born in 1796 in Lübeck, was a prominent German writer and journalist who contributed to the literary movement known as Young Germany. Another notable figure was Gustav Frahm, a German naval officer and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 19th century.

As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the Frahm surname spread to various countries. For instance, in the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Johann Frahm, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 from the Palatinate region of Germany.

While the surname Frahm has its roots in northern Germany, it has since been adopted and carried by individuals across various regions and cultures, each contributing to its rich historical tapestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frahm

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Frahm.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Frahm was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Frahm has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Frahm was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Frahm, please contact us.

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