2000
#12,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,223
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Friedland
A toponymic surname derived from places named Friedland, meaning "peaceful land" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,374 Americans carry the last name Friedland. That puts it at #13,950 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,378 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Friedland 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
2.4K
1 in 144,378
Census rank
#13,950
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,070 bearers of the surname Friedland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13950th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Friedland, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Friedland
The surname Friedland has its origins in Germany and is derived from the German term "fried", meaning peace, and "land", referring to a region or territory. This name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly as a reference to an area known for its peaceful or tranquil environment.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Friedland can be found in the 14th-century German chronicles, where it is mentioned in connection with a small village located in the region of Saxony. This village, known as Friedland, was situated in a picturesque valley and was known for its serene atmosphere.
In the 16th century, the name Friedland gained prominence when it was associated with a noble family from the Prussian region. The Friedland family played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the time, with several members holding influential positions within the Holy Roman Empire.
One of the most notable figures bearing the surname Friedland was Albrecht von Wallenstein (1583-1634), a prominent military leader during the Thirty Years' War. Wallenstein, also known as the Duke of Friedland, was a successful commander who rose through the ranks and became one of the most powerful men in the empire.
Another influential individual with the surname Friedland was Johann Gottlieb Friedland (1700-1776), a German philosopher and theologian. Friedland was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and contributed significantly to the development of philosophical thought during that era.
In the 19th century, the name Friedland gained further recognition through the work of Carl Friedrich Friedland (1805-1876), a renowned German architect. Friedland was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Berlin and other cities, leaving a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of Germany.
The surname Friedland has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. One such individual was Gustav Friedland (1892-1966), a German-born American writer and journalist. Friedland's work focused on social and political issues, and he was renowned for his insightful commentary on contemporary events.
While the surname Friedland originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. Today, people bearing this surname can be found in multiple countries, each with their own unique stories and connections to the name's rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Friedland
Among Census respondents with the surname Friedland, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Friedland 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 Friedland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,919
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 68
- Two or more races2.4% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Friedland
Friedland 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
#13,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
+92 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 461 places
2020
#13,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
-245 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 747 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,742 | 2,223 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,203 | 2,315 | 0.78 | +92 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 461 places |
| 2020 | #13,950 | 2,070 | 0.69 | -245 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 747 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 Friedland 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 | #13,203 | #13,950 | -5.7% |
| Count | 2,315 | 2,070 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.69 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Friedland bearers went from 2,315 to 2,070 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 747 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,203 to #13,950.
FAQ
Friedland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Friedland?
Name Census estimates that about 2,374 living Americans carry the surname Friedland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,378 residents.
How common is Friedland?
Friedland ranks #13,950 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,070 people with the surname Friedland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,374), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Friedland.
Has Friedland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Friedland went from 2,315 recorded bearers to 2,070. That is a decrease of 245 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,203 to #13,950.
What does the Census say about the background of Friedland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Friedland, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Friedland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Friedland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Friedland (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 Friedland mean?
A toponymic surname derived from places named Friedland, meaning "peaceful land" in German. 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 Friedland (0.69 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 Friedland?
See how many people are called Friedland on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.