2000
#23,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Frech
A German surname referring to someone who was bold, insolent, or defiant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,214 Americans carry the last name Frech. That puts it at #24,589 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 282,335 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frech 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.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 282,335
Census rank
#24,589
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,059 bearers of the surname Frech in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24589th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frech, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frech
The surname Frech is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was derived from the Old High German word "frech," meaning bold or impudent.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from the Bavarian region. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Ratisbon City Records from 1287, which mentions a certain "Conradus Frech."
During the 14th century, the surname Frech began to spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany. In 1342, the name is found in the Würzburg City Archives, referring to a "Johannes Frech."
The name Frech is also associated with several place names in Germany, such as Frechenhausen and Frechenrieden. These locations likely derived their names from early settlers bearing the Frech surname.
One notable figure in history with the surname Frech was Hans Frech, a German artist and woodcarver who lived from 1455 to 1519. His intricate woodcarvings can still be seen in various churches and cathedrals throughout southern Germany.
Another individual of note was Johann Frech, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1503 to 1565. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and worked closely with Martin Luther.
In the 16th century, the surname Frech also appears in records from the Netherlands and Switzerland, indicating that members of the family had migrated to these regions.
In the 17th century, a certain Johann Georg Frech (1630-1688) was a notable German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach.
During the 18th century, the Frech surname can be found in various historical documents from across Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Austria and France.
One interesting figure from this time period was Johann Michael Frech (1720-1790), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frech
Among Census respondents with the surname Frech, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frech 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 Frech surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 909
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 100
- Two or more races3.0% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frech
Frech 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
#24,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,040
+8 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 1,070 places
2020
#24,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,059
+19 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 415 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,104 | 1,032 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,174 | 1,040 | 0.35 | +8 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,070 places |
| 2020 | #24,589 | 1,059 | 0.35 | +19 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 415 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 Frech 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 | #24,174 | #24,589 | -1.7% |
| Count | 1,040 | 1,059 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.35 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frech bearers went from 1,040 to 1,059 (+1.8% change). The surname moved down 415 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,174 to #24,589.
FAQ
Frech surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frech?
Name Census estimates that about 1,214 living Americans carry the surname Frech. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 282,335 residents.
How common is Frech?
Frech ranks #24,589 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,059 people with the surname Frech. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Frech.
Has Frech become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frech went from 1,040 recorded bearers to 1,059. That is an increase of 19 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,174 to #24,589.
What does the Census say about the background of Frech?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frech, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Frech in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (909 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frech appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (9.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Frech (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 Frech mean?
A German surname referring to someone who was bold, insolent, or defiant. 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 Frech (0.35 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 many people have the surname Frech?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.