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

Fretz, 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 Fretz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fretz in America

Fretz is the 18660th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fretz surname appeared 1,474 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fretz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fretz 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 Fretz

The surname FRETZ originated in Germany in the early 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "vriz" or "frizen," which means free or independent. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who was not bound by feudal obligations or was a freeman.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname FRETZ can be found in the town records of Nürnberg, Germany, dating back to 1348. The name was spelled "Fritzen" at the time, which was a common variant in the medieval period.

In the 15th century, the FRETZ family appeared to have settled in the region of Palatinate, where they were documented as landowners and farmers. The name was sometimes spelled "Fretz" or "Fretze" in local records from that period.

One notable individual with the surname FRETZ was Hans Fretz (1480-1548), a wealthy merchant from the town of Speyer. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed funds towards the construction of a new town hall in Speyer.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many FRETZ families migrated to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the name was sometimes spelled "Frits" or "Frets."

In the late 17th century, a group of FRETZ families from the Palatinate region immigrated to Pennsylvania, USA, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities. One of the earliest recorded FRETZ immigrants was Johann Fretz (1645-1720), who settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1686.

Another prominent FRETZ was Christian Fretz (1722-1792), a Mennonite minister and farmer from Bedminster, Pennsylvania. He played a significant role in establishing the Mennonite community in that region.

In the 19th century, the FRETZ name was well-established in both North America and Europe. Notable individuals from this period include John Fretz (1812-1889), a Canadian businessman and politician from Waterloo County, Ontario, and Wilhelm Fretz (1835-1918), a German writer and educator from Hesse.

Throughout its history, the surname FRETZ has been associated with various occupations and professions, including farming, merchant trade, religious leadership, politics, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fretz

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

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

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

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