2000
#26,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 863
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Frieden
A German surname meaning "peace" or "freedom from disturbance".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,172 Americans carry the last name Frieden. That puts it at #25,362 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 292,453 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frieden 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.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 292,453
Census rank
#25,362
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,022 bearers of the surname Frieden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25362nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frieden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frieden
The surname Frieden is of German origin, derived from the Middle German word "vride," meaning "peace" or "freedom from disturbance." It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century, likely referring to someone who lived in a peaceful or undisturbed area or who was known for their peaceful nature.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Frieden can be found in various German historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries. For example, a reference to a Hans Frieden appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg in 1472.
In the 17th century, the surname Frieden was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria, where it was often associated with small villages or hamlets known for their tranquility and peaceful way of life. It's possible that some individuals with this surname may have been granted the name as a form of recognition for their efforts in promoting peace or resolving conflicts within their communities.
One notable individual with the surname Frieden was Johann Frieden (1592-1667), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Electors of Saxony in Dresden. His works, including sacred compositions and organ pieces, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another significant figure was Karl Frieden (1817-1898), a German-American journalist and political activist who played a prominent role in the revolutionary movements of the mid-19th century. He fled to the United States after the failed revolutions of 1848-1849 and became an influential voice in the German-American community.
In the 20th century, Max Frieden (1905-1981) was a German-born American artist and sculptor known for his abstract and modernist works. He immigrated to the United States in the 1930s and established himself as a respected figure in the New York art scene.
Another notable individual was Manfred Frieden (1930-2011), a German-born American chemist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. He served as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was recognized for his research on protein folding and structure.
While the surname Frieden may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage, with families carrying this name found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frieden
Among Census respondents with the surname Frieden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frieden 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 Frieden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 984
- Two or more races1.2% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frieden
Frieden 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
#32,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 720
-143 bearers (-16.6%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 5,465 places
2020
#25,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,022
+302 bearers (+41.9%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 6,669 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,566 | 863 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,031 | 720 | 0.24 | -143 bearers (-16.6%) | Down 5,465 places |
| 2020 | #25,362 | 1,022 | 0.34 | +302 bearers (+41.9%) | Up 6,669 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 Frieden 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 | #32,031 | #25,362 | 20.8% |
| Count | 720 | 1,022 | 41.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.34 | 42.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frieden bearers went from 720 to 1,022 (+41.9% change). The surname moved up 6,669 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,031 to #25,362.
FAQ
Frieden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frieden?
Name Census estimates that about 1,172 living Americans carry the surname Frieden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 292,453 residents.
How common is Frieden?
Frieden ranks #25,362 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,022 people with the surname Frieden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,172), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Frieden.
Has Frieden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frieden went from 720 recorded bearers to 1,022. That is an increase of 302 (+41.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #32,031 to #25,362.
What does the Census say about the background of Frieden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frieden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Frieden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frieden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (1.2%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Frieden (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 Frieden mean?
A German surname meaning "peace" or "freedom from disturbance". 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 Frieden (0.34 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 Frieden?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Frieden at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.