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

Fricks, 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 Fricks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fricks in America

Fricks is the 17582nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fricks surname appeared 1,599 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 Fricks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fricks 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 Fricks

The surname Fricks has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Germanic word "freck," which means "bold" or "brave." It may have originally referred to someone who was particularly courageous or daring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1387. Here, a man named Hans Fricks is mentioned as a local resident. Over the next few centuries, the name spread across other parts of Germany and neighboring regions.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann Fricks lived in the city of Cologne, where he worked as a respected scholar and theologian. He wrote several influential works on religious philosophy during his lifetime, which spanned from 1512 to 1590.

The Fricks surname also has a connection to the Netherlands, where it may have been adopted by families who migrated from Germany. In the 17th century, a Dutch painter named Pieter Fricks gained recognition for his intricate still-life paintings, which are now housed in various art museums across Europe.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Frix, Frikx, and Fryx. These alternative spellings can be found in historical records from different regions.

In the 19th century, a prominent businessman named Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) made a significant impact on the industrial landscape of the United States. He amassed a vast fortune through his involvement in the coke and steel industries and later became a renowned art collector and philanthropist.

Another notable individual with the Fricks surname was Otto Fricks (1892-1939), a German politician who played a significant role in the Nazi regime during World War II. He served as the Reich Minister of the Interior and was eventually convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials.

Over the centuries, the Fricks surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, industrialists, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fricks

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

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

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

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