2000
#2,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.28
Uncommon Last name
Franz
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the personal name Franciscus, which means "Frenchman" or "free man."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,675 Americans carry the last name Franz. That puts it at #3,189 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Franz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Franz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,042
Census rank
#3,189
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,053 bearers of the surname Franz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3189th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Franz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Franz
Among Census respondents with the surname Franz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Franz 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 Franz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 10,114
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 447
- Two or more races2.7% · 293
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 131
- Black or African American0.4% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Franz
Franz 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
#3,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,462
-91 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 3.89
Rank movement Down 300 places
2020
#3,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,053
-409 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.70
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,853 | 11,553 | 4.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,153 | 11,462 | 3.89 | -91 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 300 places |
| 2020 | #3,189 | 11,053 | 3.70 | -409 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 36 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 Franz 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 | #3,153 | #3,189 | -1.1% |
| Count | 11,462 | 11,053 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.89 | 3.70 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Franz bearers went from 11,462 to 11,053 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,153 to #3,189.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Franz
FAQ
Franz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Franz?
Name Census estimates that about 12,675 living Americans carry the surname Franz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,042 residents.
How common is Franz?
Franz ranks #3,189 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,053 people with the surname Franz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,675), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Franz.
Has Franz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Franz went from 11,462 recorded bearers to 11,053. That is a decrease of 409 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,153 to #3,189.
What does the Census say about the background of Franz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Franz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. 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 Franz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (10,114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Franz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), 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 Franz (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 Franz mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the personal name Franciscus, which means "Frenchman" or "free man." 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 Franz (3.70 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 common is the surname Franz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Franz at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.