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

Franken, 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 Franken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Franken in America

Franken is the 20512th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Franken surname appeared 1,293 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Franken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Franken 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 Franken

The surname Franken has its origins in Germany, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the word "Franken," which refers to the region of Franconia in present-day Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This area was once inhabited by the Franks, a Germanic tribe that played a significant role in shaping the history of Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Franken can be found in various historical documents from the region, including church records, tax rolls, and other official manuscripts. One notable mention is in the Codex Traditionum Fuldensium, a 9th-century cartulary from the Fulda Abbey, which contains a reference to a person named "Francono" in the year 819.

During the 13th century, the name Franken appeared in connection with several place names, such as Frankenberg and Frankenau, which were likely derived from the same root. These place names were often associated with settlements or landholdings belonging to individuals bearing the Franken surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Franken was Konrad von Franken, a 13th-century German cleric and writer who served as the Bishop of Hildesheim from 1260 to 1271. Another notable figure was Johann Franken, a 16th-century German theologian and reformer who was born in Nuremberg in 1491 and played a role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name Franken gained prominence with the birth of Anna Sophia Franken (1624-1673), a German poet and one of the first female writers to achieve recognition in her time. Another notable figure from this era was Johann Franken (1616-1672), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraiture and genre scenes.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Franken was associated with Johann Franken (1737-1801), a German engraver and printmaker who produced a significant body of work during his lifetime. Additionally, Johann Michael Franken (1766-1838) was a German composer and organist who made notable contributions to sacred music.

Throughout its history, the surname Franken has been carried by various individuals from different walks of life, including artists, writers, theologians, and scholars. While the name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of people over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Franken

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

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 Franken 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 Franken 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 Franken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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