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

Frehner, 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 Frehner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frehner in America

Frehner is the 49461st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frehner surname appeared 425 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 Frehner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frehner 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 Frehner

The surname Frehner is believed to have originated in Switzerland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Middle High German word "vrehen," which means "to ask or demand." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person's occupation or role as a tax collector or dues collector.

Records indicate that the earliest known bearers of the name Frehner lived in the Swiss cantons of Bern and Solothurn. The name is thought to have originated in these regions and then spread to other parts of Switzerland and neighboring areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Frehner can be found in the Solothurn Feudal Roll, a historical document dating back to the late 13th century. This record mentions a "Hans Frehner" who was a landowner in the village of Kriegstetten.

During the 16th century, the name Frehner appeared in various Swiss chronicles and municipal records, particularly in the canton of Bern. A notable bearer of the name from this period was Hans Frehner (1525-1592), a prominent merchant and banker from the city of Bern.

In the 17th century, the Frehner family established itself as a respected lineage in the region of Emmental, located in the canton of Bern. Johannes Frehner (1638-1708) was a notable figure from this era, serving as a magistrate and local official in the town of Langnau im Emmental.

As the Frehner family continued to prosper and expand, its members ventured into various professions and trades. In the 18th century, Jakob Frehner (1712-1779) was a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker from the town of Burgdorf, renowned for his intricate timepieces.

Another prominent bearer of the Frehner name was Johann Rudolf Frehner (1789-1855), a Swiss politician and statesman from the canton of Bern. He served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the country's executive governing body, from 1848 to 1853.

Throughout its history, the surname Frehner has maintained a strong presence in Switzerland, particularly in the central and western regions. While some bearers of the name have migrated to other parts of the world, the Frehner surname remains closely associated with its Swiss heritage and linguistic roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frehner

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

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

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

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