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

Franzen, 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 Franzen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Franzen in America

Franzen is the 6100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Franzen surname appeared 5,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Franzen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Franzen 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 Franzen

The surname Franzen is of German origin, stemming from the region of Franconia in the southern German state of Bavaria. It first emerged during the medieval era, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Franzen is derived from the Germanic word "Franko," which means "a Frank" or "free man." It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who were of Frankish descent or those who had obtained their freedom from serfdom.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Franzen can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a certain "Henricus Franzen" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the records of the Teutonic Knights, a German Catholic military order. A knight named "Johann Franzen" is documented as having participated in the Livonian Crusade, a military campaign carried out by the Teutonic Knights in the Baltic region.

During the Renaissance period, the Franzen name gained some prominence. Johann Franzen (1492-1556), a German humanist and scholar, was born in Nuremberg and became known for his translations of ancient Greek texts into Latin.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Franzen surname was Hans Franzen (1605-1673), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works, which included landscapes and portraits, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

Another prominent individual with the Franzen name was Carl Franzen (1804-1881), a German poet and translator from Saxony. He is best known for his translations of works by authors such as William Shakespeare and Lord Byron.

During the 19th century, the Franzen name spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas through immigration. One example is Gustav Franzen (1808-1847), a Swedish botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research in South America.

Throughout its history, the Franzen surname has been associated with various occupations, including scholars, artists, military figures, and scientists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Franzen

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

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

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

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