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

Freytag, 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 Freytag surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freytag in America

Freytag is the 25430th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freytag surname appeared 973 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 Freytag.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freytag 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 Freytag

The surname Freytag originated in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old German words "frei" meaning "free" and "tag" meaning "day," suggesting that the original bearer was a free man or a freeman. It may also be related to the German word "freitag," meaning Friday, and could potentially refer to someone born or working on that day.

The earliest recorded instances of the Freytag name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. In some historical records, the name appeared with variations in spelling, such as Freitag, Freytagh, and Freitagk.

One notable historical reference to the Freytag name is found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Nuremberg, which mentions a merchant named Hans Freytag. Another early record is from the 15th century, where a Johannes Freytag is listed as a member of the guild of goldsmiths in the city of Leipzig.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Freytag surname was Georg Freytag (1516-1570), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and served as the rector of the University of Wittenberg.

The 17th century saw the birth of Georg Philipp Freytag (1642-1708), a German jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential works on civil law and jurisprudence. He held prominent positions in the courts of various German principalities.

In the 19th century, Gustav Freytag (1816-1895) was a celebrated German novelist, playwright, and literary critic. He is best known for his novel "Soll und Haben" (Debit and Credit), which depicted the rise of the German bourgeoisie in the 19th century and is considered a classic of German realist literature.

Another notable bearer of the Freytag name was Max Freytag (1876-1959), a German engineer and industrialist who played a pivotal role in the development of the modern motor vehicle industry. He worked for companies like Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Opel, and held several patents related to automotive technology.

While these are just a few examples, the Freytag surname has a rich history and has been associated with various prominent individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting its deep roots in German culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freytag

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

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

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

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