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

Freitag, 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 Freitag surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freitag in America

Freitag is the 7073rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freitag surname appeared 4,733 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Freitag.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freitag 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 Freitag

The surname FREITAG originated in Germany, with its earliest known references dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Freitag," which means "Friday" in English. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked on Fridays or was born on a Friday.

The earliest recorded instances of the name FREITAG can be found in various medieval German records and documents, such as town registers, tax rolls, and legal documents. For example, a record from the city of Nuremberg in 1412 mentions a "Hans Freitag," suggesting that the name was already in use at that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name FREITAG became more widespread throughout different regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Freitag (1619-1690), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion and celestial mechanics.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, as German immigration to North America increased, the FREITAG name began to appear in various records and documents in the United States and Canada. One prominent figure was Christian Freitag (1790-1849), a German-American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1833 to 1835.

Another notable bearer of the FREITAG name was Otto Freitag (1819-1899), a German-American architect and builder who designed numerous churches, schools, and public buildings in the Midwest during the late 19th century. His works can be found in cities such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Louis.

In more recent times, the name FREITAG has been associated with several individuals in various fields, such as Günter Freitag (1926-2018), a German writer and journalist, and Mathias Freitag (born 1981), a German footballer who played for several clubs in the Bundesliga.

While the FREITAG surname is more commonly found in Germany and among German-American communities, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. The name is a testament to the rich cultural heritage and history of Germany, reflecting the influence of language, occupations, and traditions on the development of surnames over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freitag

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

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

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

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