2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Freihaut
A German surname derived from frei "free" and Haut "skin", possibly denoting a free person in the medieval era.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Freihaut. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Freihaut 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Freihaut in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Freihaut, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Freihaut
Among Census respondents with the surname Freihaut, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Freihaut 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 Freihaut surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Freihaut
Freihaut 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,685 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,058 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,685 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,058 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 Freihaut 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 | #151,532 | #153,590 | -1.4% |
| Count | 108 | 104 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Freihaut bearers went from 108 to 104 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,058 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #153,590.
FAQ
Freihaut surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Freihaut?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Freihaut. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Freihaut?
Freihaut ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Freihaut. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Freihaut.
Has Freihaut become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Freihaut went from 108 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Freihaut?
Among Census respondents with the surname Freihaut, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Freihaut in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Freihaut appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (1.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Freihaut (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 Freihaut mean?
A German surname derived from frei "free" and Haut "skin", possibly denoting a free person in the medieval era. 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 Freihaut (0.03 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 Freihaut?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.