2000
#3,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,562
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.54
Uncommon Last name
Frick
A German occupational surname referring to a person who operated a loom or wove textiles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,098 Americans carry the last name Frick. That puts it at #3,911 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,943 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frick 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Frick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,943
Census rank
#3,911
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,806 bearers of the surname Frick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3911th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frick
The surname Frick has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "frech," which means "bold" or "daring." The name was initially given as a nickname to individuals who displayed these qualities.
In the early medieval period, the name Frick first appeared in various records and manuscripts, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. One of the earliest known references is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of charters and documents from Saxony, where a certain "Fridericus dictus Frick" is mentioned in 1285.
The name Frick has also been associated with several place names in Germany. For instance, the town of Frickenhofen in Bavaria was once known as "Frickehoven," suggesting a connection to the surname. Additionally, there are records of individuals with the name Frick residing in places like Frickingen and Frickenhausen, which may have influenced the surname's development.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Frick throughout history, one can mention Wilhelm Frick (1877-1946), a prominent German politician and Nazi official who served as the Reich Minister of the Interior during the Third Reich. Johann Frick (1913-2003) was a German theologian and professor at the University of Munich, known for his works on Catholic theology.
Another notable figure was Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), an American industrialist and art collector who played a significant role in the growth of the coke and steel industries in the late 19th century. He was also the founder of the Frick Collection, a renowned art museum in New York City.
In the realm of literature, the surname Frick is associated with the German writer Gottlieb Frick (1730-1801), who authored several theological works and was known for his satirical writings. Additionally, Charles Frick (1858-1939) was an American educator and author who served as the president of Alma College in Michigan.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Frick throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frick
Among Census respondents with the surname Frick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frick 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 Frick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 8,100
- Two or more races3.0% · 268
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 262
- Black or African American0.9% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frick
Frick 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
#3,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,597
+35 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.25
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#3,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,806
-791 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 2.95
Rank movement Down 209 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,426 | 9,562 | 3.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,702 | 9,597 | 3.25 | +35 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #3,911 | 8,806 | 2.95 | -791 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 209 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 Frick 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 | #3,702 | #3,911 | -5.6% |
| Count | 9,597 | 8,806 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.25 | 2.95 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frick bearers went from 9,597 to 8,806 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 209 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,702 to #3,911.
FAQ
Frick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frick?
Name Census estimates that about 10,098 living Americans carry the surname Frick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,943 residents.
How common is Frick?
Frick ranks #3,911 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,806 people with the surname Frick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,098), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Frick.
Has Frick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frick went from 9,597 recorded bearers to 8,806. That is a decrease of 791 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,702 to #3,911.
What does the Census say about the background of Frick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Frick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (8,100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Frick (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 Frick mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who operated a loom or wove textiles. 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 Frick (2.95 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 common is the surname Frick?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Frick, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.