2000
#11,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,499
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Frandsen
Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Frand," a variant of the personal name Frederick.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,088 Americans carry the last name Frandsen. That puts it at #11,227 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,996 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frandsen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,996
Census rank
#11,227
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,693 bearers of the surname Frandsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11227th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frandsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frandsen
The surname Frandsen is of Danish origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Frandrup, located in the northern part of Denmark. The name is a patronymic, derived from the Old Danish personal name "Frandi," which means "stranger" or "foreigner."
In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Frandsen, Frandesøn, and Frandsøn. One of the earliest documented instances of the name dates back to 1389, when a man named Frands Jensen was mentioned in a land registry in the town of Hjørring, Denmark.
The Frandsen surname gained prominence in the 16th century, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Niels Frandsen (1535-1613), a Danish clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Viborg from 1592 until his death.
During the 17th century, the name was associated with the Frandsen family from the island of Funen. This family produced several distinguished individuals, including Christen Frandsen (1609-1676), a merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the development of the Danish East India Company.
In the 18th century, the Frandsen name appeared in various historical records, including the birth and marriage registers of several Danish parishes. One notable figure from this period was Hans Frandsen (1718-1788), a wealthy landowner and farmer from the region of Zealand.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several prominent Frandsens, such as Peter Frandsen (1819-1893), a Danish politician and journalist who served as a member of the Danish parliament for several years. Another notable figure was Jens Frandsen (1858-1936), a renowned artist and painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.
Throughout history, the Frandsen name has been associated with various professions, including clergy, merchants, politicians, artists, and landowners. While the name is predominantly Danish, it has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway, due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frandsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Frandsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Frandsen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Frandsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,484
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 108
- Two or more races2.7% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frandsen
Frandsen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,750
+251 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 82 places
2020
#11,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,693
-57 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,538 | 2,499 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,456 | 2,750 | 0.93 | +251 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 82 places |
| 2020 | #11,227 | 2,693 | 0.90 | -57 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 229 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Frandsen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,456 | #11,227 | 2.0% |
| Count | 2,750 | 2,693 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.90 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frandsen bearers went from 2,750 to 2,693 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 229 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,456 to #11,227.
FAQ
Frandsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frandsen?
Name Census estimates that about 3,088 living Americans carry the surname Frandsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,996 residents.
How common is Frandsen?
Frandsen ranks #11,227 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,693 people with the surname Frandsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,088), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Frandsen.
Has Frandsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frandsen went from 2,750 recorded bearers to 2,693. That is a decrease of 57 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,456 to #11,227.
What does the Census say about the background of Frandsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frandsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Frandsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,484 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frandsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Frandsen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Frandsen mean?
Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Frand," a variant of the personal name Frederick. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Frandsen (0.90 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Frandsen?
See how many people are called Frandsen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.