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

Fredericks, 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 Fredericks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fredericks in America

Fredericks is the 4515th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fredericks surname appeared 7,848 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Fredericks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fredericks 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 Fredericks

The surname Fredericks has its origins in ancient Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures, and is derived from the personal name Frederic or Frederick. This name is composed of the elements "frid" meaning peace and "ric" meaning power or ruler. Essentially, Fredericks is a patronymic surname, initially used to denote the son or descendant of a man named Frederick.

The name Fredericks emerged in various regions of Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly in areas with strong Germanic influence such as England, Germany, and the Netherlands. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners in England after the Norman Conquest.

During the 12th century, the name Fredericks appeared in various records and chronicles across Europe. For instance, a knight named Sir Richard Fredericks was mentioned in the chronicles of the Third Crusade, which took place between 1189 and 1192.

In the 13th century, the name Fredericks was present in various regions of Germany, with notable individuals such as Heinrich Fredericks (c. 1220-1290), a renowned scholar and theologian from the city of Cologne.

As the name spread across Europe, regional variations in spelling emerged, such as Frederichs, Fredericks, Fredrix, and Fredryks. This diversity in spelling was often influenced by local dialects and linguistic traditions.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Fredericks throughout history include:

1. John Fredericks (c. 1460-1528), an English merchant and explorer who participated in voyages to the Americas and the West Indies.
2. Pieter Fredericks (1546-1616), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his landscape and religious works.
3. Anna Fredericks (1675-1743), a German-born American pioneer and landowner in colonial Pennsylvania.
4. William Fredericks (1788-1862), an English entrepreneur and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Manchester.
5. Edith Fredericks (1892-1986), an American soprano and opera singer who performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

These examples illustrate the widespread presence of the surname Fredericks across different regions and time periods, reflecting its enduring legacy as a patronymic name with Germanic roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fredericks

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

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

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

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