Freihaut last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Freihaut

A German surname derived from frei "free" and Haut "skin", possibly denoting a free person in the medieval era.

Freihaut, 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 Freihaut surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freihaut in America

Freihaut is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freihaut surname appeared 108 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 Freihaut.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freihaut 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 151532 143847 5.20%
Count 108 106 1.87%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.04 0.00%

The history of the last name Freihaut

The surname FREIHAUT is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It originated in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The name FREIHAUT is derived from the German words "frei" meaning "free" and "haut" meaning "skin" or "hide." This combination of words suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked with animal hides or skins, perhaps a tanner or a leather worker, who was entitled to certain privileges or freedoms within their trade guild or community.

In the Middle Ages, surnames often arose from occupations, physical characteristics, or places of origin. The surname FREIHAUT could have been bestowed upon individuals who enjoyed certain freedoms or rights related to their profession, distinguishing them from others in the same trade.

While no specific historical records or manuscripts have been found that definitively mention the name FREIHAUT, its linguistic roots and structure align with the naming conventions of that era in the German-speaking regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FREIHAUT can be traced back to the late 15th century, when a Johannes Freihaut was mentioned in a legal document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in modern-day Bavaria, Germany.

Another notable figure bearing the surname FREIHAUT was Hans Freihaut, a master carpenter who lived in the early 16th century and was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in the city of Nuremberg, Germany.

In the 17th century, a Johann Freihaut was a respected scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg, where he taught philosophy and theology. He was born in 1608 and died in 1679.

During the 18th century, a Bernhard Freihaut was a prominent merchant and trader based in the city of Hamburg, Germany. He played a significant role in the thriving maritime trade of the time, importing and exporting goods across Europe.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname FREIHAUT was Otto Freihaut, a German artist and painter born in 1825. He was known for his landscape paintings depicting the natural beauty of the German countryside.

These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname FREIHAUT, which can be traced back several centuries in various regions of German-speaking Central Europe. While the name may have originated from an occupation related to leather or hides, it has endured through generations, carrying with it a sense of freedom and privilege associated with its linguistic roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freihaut

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

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 Freihaut was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.52% 101
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Freihaut has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.52% 99.06% -5.75%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Freihaut last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/freihaut-surname-popularity/.

"Freihaut last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/freihaut-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 June, 2025

Freihaut last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/freihaut-surname-popularity/.

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