2000
#64,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Freis
A German surname derived from the word "frei" meaning "free".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 295 Americans carry the last name Freis. That puts it at #79,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,161,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Freis 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
295
1 in 1,161,879
Census rank
#79,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
257
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 257 bearers of the surname Freis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Freis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Freis
The surname Freis originates from the German state of Bavaria, dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old German word "freis," meaning "free" or "independent." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who were not bound by serfdom or land ownership.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Freis can be found in the town of Nuremberg's municipal records from the year 1487, where a certain Hans Freis is mentioned as a local tradesman. Another early reference appears in the Augsburg Chronicle, a historical document from the 16th century, which notes the presence of a family with the surname Freis residing in the city during that time.
In the 17th century, the name Freis spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany, such as Saxony and Thuringia. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes Freis (1625-1701), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Leipzig, and Heinrich Freis (1663-1738), a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Dresden.
The 18th century saw the emergence of a few notable Freis figures, such as Johann Freis (1720-1788), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. Another prominent figure was Friedrich Freis (1756-1824), a Bavarian jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential works on civil law.
As the 19th century dawned, the Freis name continued to be found across various regions of Germany. One noteworthy individual was Karl Freis (1811-1892), a German mathematician and academic who made contributions to the field of geometry and taught at the University of Giessen.
Another notable figure from this period was Wilhelm Freis (1837-1910), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in the town of Monschau, near the Belgian border. His business played a significant role in the region's economic development during the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Freis
Among Census respondents with the surname Freis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Freis 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 Freis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 250
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Freis
Freis 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
#83,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 224
-66 bearers (-22.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 19,648 places
2020
#79,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
+33 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 4,026 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #64,186 | 290 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #83,834 | 224 | 0.08 | -66 bearers (-22.8%) | Down 19,648 places |
| 2020 | #79,808 | 257 | 0.09 | +33 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 4,026 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 Freis 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 | #83,834 | #79,808 | 4.8% |
| Count | 224 | 257 | 14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Freis bearers went from 224 to 257 (+14.7% change). The surname moved up 4,026 positions in the national ranking, going from #83,834 to #79,808.
FAQ
Freis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Freis?
Name Census estimates that about 295 living Americans carry the surname Freis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,161,879 residents.
How common is Freis?
Freis ranks #79,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 257 people with the surname Freis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Freis.
Has Freis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Freis went from 224 recorded bearers to 257. That is an increase of 33 (+14.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #83,834 to #79,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Freis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Freis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Freis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Freis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Freis (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 Freis mean?
A German surname derived from the word "frei" meaning "free". 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 Freis (0.09 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 have the last name Freis?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Freis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.