2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Frankian
A surname derived from Frankish origins, referring to those of Frankish descent or heritage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Frankian. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frankian 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Frankian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frankian, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frankian
The surname Frankian is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old German word "franko," which means "free" or "frank." This word was used to refer to the Franks, a Germanic tribe that settled in the region of modern-day France and parts of western Germany during the late Roman period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Frankian surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 9th to the 13th centuries. This collection includes references to individuals bearing the name Frankian, indicating that the surname was in use during this time period.
In the 11th century, a nobleman named Otho Frankian was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror to record the landholdings and wealth of England. This entry provides evidence of the surname's presence in England during the Norman Conquest.
During the 13th century, a prominent figure named Heinrich Frankian was a merchant and alderman in the city of Cologne, Germany. His name appears in various historical records from that era, attesting to the surname's continued use in the region.
In the 15th century, a German scholar and humanist named Johannes Frankian gained recognition for his contributions to the Renaissance. He was born in 1460 in the city of Mainz and is known for his translations of classical Greek texts into Latin.
Another notable individual with the Frankian surname was Hans Frankian, a German painter who lived in the 16th century. His works, primarily religious paintings and portraits, can be found in various churches and museums across Germany and neighboring countries.
As the surname Frankian spread throughout Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Frankien, Franken, and Franken. These variations often reflected regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
The name Frankian has also been associated with certain place names in Germany, such as Frankenberg and Frankenau, which may have influenced the surname's development and distribution.
While the surname Frankian is relatively uncommon today, it continues to hold historical significance as a testament to the legacy of the Franks and their influence on the cultural and linguistic landscape of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frankian
Among Census respondents with the surname Frankian, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frankian 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 Frankian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frankian
Frankian appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,243 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 Frankian 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 | #148,347 | #153,590 | -3.5% |
| Count | 111 | 104 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frankian bearers went from 111 to 104 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,243 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #153,590.
FAQ
Frankian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frankian?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Frankian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Frankian?
Frankian ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Frankian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Frankian.
Has Frankian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frankian went from 111 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Frankian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frankian, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Frankian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frankian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (3.8%), Black (1.0%). 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 Frankian (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 Frankian mean?
A surname derived from Frankish origins, referring to those of Frankish descent or heritage. 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 Frankian (0.03 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 share the surname Frankian?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.