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

Franze, 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 Franze surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Franze in America

Franze is the 35096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Franze surname appeared 642 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 Franze.

We can also compare 2010 data for Franze 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 Franze

The surname Franze originates from Germany, first emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "franz," which means "free" or "from France." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied to someone who came from France or had some connection to the French region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Franze surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the year 1322. This document mentions a certain "Henricus Franze," providing evidence of the name's existence during that era.

In the 15th century, the Franze surname appeared in various records across German regions, such as the town of Mainz, where a merchant named Johannes Franze was documented in 1478. Additionally, the name was found in the city of Nuremberg, with a record from 1492 mentioning a certain "Hans Franze."

During the 16th century, the Franze surname gained prominence with the birth of the renowned German Protestant reformer and theologian, Andreas Franze (1528-1590). Born in Camberg, Hesse, Franze played a significant role in the Reformation movement and authored several influential theological works.

Another notable figure bearing the Franze surname was Johann Michael Franze (1668-1728), a German composer and organist from Mannheim. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the cultural landscape of the time.

In the 19th century, the Franze surname was associated with Friedrich Franze (1826-1891), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag, the imperial parliament of the German Empire, representing the National Liberal Party.

It is worth noting that the Franze surname has also been recorded with variations in spelling, such as Frantz, Franzen, and Franzke, reflecting the fluid nature of surnames in earlier times and regional differences in spelling conventions.

While the Franze surname may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange, carrying with it the rich history and heritage of its German roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Franze

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

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

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

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