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

Franz, 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 Franz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Franz in America

Franz is the 3153rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Franz surname appeared 11,462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Franz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Franz 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 Franz

The surname FRANZ is of German origin, derived from the medieval German personal name Franz, which was a shortened form of the Frankish name Franciscus. The name Franciscus itself originated from the Latin word "Franciscus," meaning "Frenchman" or "Frank."

The name FRANZ first appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland, around the 13th century. It was commonly associated with individuals of Frankish descent or those who had connections to the Frankish tribes that inhabited parts of modern-day Germany and France during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname FRANZ can be found in the Charters of the Duchy of Bavaria from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Frantz" or "Frantz." Over time, the name evolved into its modern spelling, FRANZ.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname FRANZ was Johannes FRANZ, a German theologian and philosopher who was born in Erfurt around 1350. He was known for his writings on logic and metaphysics.

During the 16th century, the FRANZ surname gained prominence in various parts of Germany. One notable individual was Michael FRANZ, a German cartographer and engraver born in Nuremberg around 1520. He is famous for his intricate maps and engravings of German cities and regions.

In the 17th century, Johann FRANZ (1587-1644) was a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is known for his contributions to the development of the Protestant church music tradition in Germany.

In the 18th century, Johann Michael FRANZ (1700-1761) was a German architect and sculptor from Franconia. He designed several notable churches and buildings in the Baroque style, including the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers in Bamberg.

Another influential figure with the surname FRANZ was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's friend and confidant, Christian Joseph FRANZ (1758-1828). He was a German painter and art critic who played a significant role in the development of German Romanticism.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname FRANZ throughout history, reflecting the name's deep roots in German culture and its association with various fields, including theology, cartography, music, architecture, and art.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Franz

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

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

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

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