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

Fransen, 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 Fransen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fransen in America

Fransen is the 16390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fransen surname appeared 1,756 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 Fransen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fransen 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 Fransen

The surname Fransen originated in the Netherlands during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old Dutch word "Franso," which means "a Frank" or "someone from France." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who had emigrated from France to the Low Countries or had ancestors who had done so.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records indicating that it was prevalent in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Jan Fransenz, who was recorded in Groningen in 1287, and Claes Fransenz, mentioned in a document from Friesland in 1312.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name appears in various Dutch records, such as the Oude Kerkregisters (Old Church Registers) and the Stadsarchieven (City Archives). One notable individual from this period was Hendrick Fransen, a Dutch philosopher and theologian who lived from 1501 to 1552 and served as a professor at the University of Louvain.

In the 17th century, the name continued to be prominent in the Netherlands, with several individuals bearing the surname achieving notable status. One such person was Pieter Fransenz, a Dutch Golden Age painter who lived from 1616 to 1689 and was known for his still-life and genre paintings.

As the Dutch colonial empire expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Fransen was carried to various parts of the world, including the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and the Dutch West Indies (present-day Caribbean islands). One notable bearer of the name during this period was Jacobus Fransen, a Dutch colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Dutch East Indies from 1743 to 1752.

Another significant individual with the surname Fransen was Gerard Fransen, a Dutch Catholic priest and historian who lived from 1857 to 1935. He was known for his extensive research and writings on the history of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands.

Throughout its history, the surname Fransen has been associated with various professions and fields, including art, academia, politics, and religion. While the name originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Dutch migration and colonial expansion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fransen

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

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

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

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