Freyer last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Freyer

A surname derived from an occupational name for a fryer or frier.

Freyer, 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 Freyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freyer in America

Freyer is the 23100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freyer surname appeared 1,105 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 Freyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freyer 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 23100 22053 4.64%
Count 1,105 1,095 0.91%
Proportion per 100k 0.37 0.41 -10.26%

The history of the last name Freyer

The surname Freyer has its origins in the Germanic regions of Europe, particularly in Germany and the surrounding countries. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Freyer is derived from the Old German word "frīa," which means "free" or "independent." It is likely that the name was initially given to individuals who were not bound by serfdom or feudal obligations, indicating their status as freemen.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Freyer can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Frygere," "Fryere," and "Freyere."

The Freyer surname is also mentioned in several other historical records, including the Lüneburg Inheritance Register from the 14th century and the Würzburg Municipal Records from the 15th century. These documents provide valuable insights into the geographic distribution and prominence of the name during that time.

Notable individuals who bore the Freyer surname throughout history include Johannes Freyer (1475-1545), a German humanist and philosopher who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics. Another notable figure was Hans Freyer (1887-1969), a German sociologist and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of social theory.

In the realm of literature, the Freyer name is associated with the German writer and poet Friedrich Gottlob Freyer (1720-1784), known for his literary works and translations of French and English authors. Additionally, Johann Friedrich Freyer (1720-1793) was a German entomologist and naturalist who made valuable contributions to the study of insects.

The Freyer surname can also be traced to various place names within Germany, such as Freyersdorf and Freyersbach, which may have influenced the development and distribution of the name over time.

While the Freyer surname has its roots in Germany and the surrounding regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, the historical evidence suggests that its origins lie firmly in the Germanic regions of Europe, where it emerged as a marker of social status and freedom during the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freyer

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

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 Freyer was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.66% 1,046
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.54% 6
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.09% 12
Hispanic Origin 3.17% 35

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.66% 96.35% -1.77%
Black 0.54% 0.73% -29.92%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.09% 0.46% 81.29%
Hispanic 3.17% 2.01% 44.79%

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

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

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"Freyer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/freyer-surname-popularity/.

"Freyer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/freyer-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

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

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