2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Freidline
A surname derived from a German placename or occupational name related to farming or agriculture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Freidline. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Freidline 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Freidline in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Freidline, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Freidline
The surname FREIDLINE originated in Germany during the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "freid," which translates to "peace" or "freedom." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a peaceful area or enjoyed personal liberty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FREIDLINE surname can be found in the church records of the town of Weimar, located in the present-day state of Thuringia, Germany. These records date back to 1587 and mention a family by the name of Freidliner.
In the 17th century, variations of the FREIDLINE surname began to appear in different regions of Germany, including Freidlein, Freidlin, and Freidlein. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and differences in pronunciation and spelling.
During the 18th century, the FREIDLINE surname gained recognition with the birth of Johann Friedrich Freidline (1714-1789), a renowned German composer and organist. Johann's works were widely performed throughout Europe and contributed to the development of the Baroque musical tradition.
Another notable bearer of the FREIDLINE surname was Karl Freidline (1798-1863), a German-born civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several major infrastructure projects in the United States, including the Erie Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
In the 19th century, the FREIDLINE surname began to spread beyond Germany as families immigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Heinrich Freidline (1821-1898), a German-born journalist and political activist who advocated for workers' rights and social reforms in the United States.
As the FREIDLINE surname continued to disperse globally, it underwent further variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, in the United States, the spelling "Friedline" became more common, while in parts of South America, the name was sometimes rendered as "Freidlina."
Throughout history, the FREIDLINE surname has been associated with individuals from diverse professions, including writers, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Notable examples include the German-American author and poet Anna Freidline (1856-1932) and the British chemist and inventor Robert Freidline (1879-1955), who pioneered several groundbreaking industrial processes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Freidline
Among Census respondents with the surname Freidline, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Freidline 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 Freidline surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 107
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Freidline
Freidline 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+32 bearers (+30.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 19,626 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-18 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,506 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +32 bearers (+30.5%) | Up 19,626 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 17,506 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 Freidline 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 | #125,282 | #142,788 | -14.0% |
| Count | 137 | 119 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Freidline bearers went from 137 to 119 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 17,506 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #142,788.
FAQ
Freidline surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Freidline?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Freidline. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Freidline?
Freidline ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Freidline. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Freidline.
Has Freidline become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Freidline went from 137 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Freidline?
Among Census respondents with the surname Freidline, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Freidline in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Freidline appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Freidline (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 Freidline mean?
A surname derived from a German placename or occupational name related to farming or agriculture. 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 Freidline (0.04 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 share the surname Freidline?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.