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

Freiberg, 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 Freiberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freiberg in America

Freiberg is the 16662nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freiberg surname appeared 1,719 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Freiberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freiberg 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 Freiberg

The surname Freiberg is of German origin, originating from the region of Saxony in the late medieval period. It derives from the German words "frei" meaning "free" and "Berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill", suggesting it may have been a locational surname referring to a free or independent settlement located on a hill or mountainous area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Freiberg can be found in the town records of Freiberg, Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. The town of Freiberg itself was founded in the 12th century and was known for its rich silver mining industry, which may have contributed to the name's origins.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johannes Freiberg (1489-1543) was a German humanist scholar and theologian who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in Freiberg, Saxony, and his works contributed to the spread of Reformation ideals throughout the region.

Another historical figure with the surname Freiberg was Johann Freiberg (1616-1701), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and planetary motion. He was born in Quedlinburg, Germany, and served as a professor at the University of Jena.

In the 19th century, Karl Freiberg (1821-1892) was a German painter and etcher known for his landscapes and architectural depictions. He was born in Dresden, Saxony, and his works were widely exhibited throughout Europe during his lifetime.

The surname Freiberg also has a presence in other European countries, such as Switzerland and Austria, where it may have been adopted by individuals or families who migrated from the German regions where the name originated.

While the surname Freiberg may have evolved or been spelled differently in various regions over time, its roots can be traced back to the German language and the historical regions of Saxony, where it first emerged as a locational surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freiberg

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

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

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

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