2000
#77,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 229
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Friedler
An Anglicized surname derived from the German word meaning "peaceable" or "peaceful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 297 Americans carry the last name Friedler. That puts it at #79,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,154,055 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Friedler 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
297
1 in 1,154,055
Census rank
#79,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
259
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 259 bearers of the surname Friedler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Friedler, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Friedler
The surname Friedler is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "Fried," which means "peace" or "tranquility," and the suffix "-ler," indicating a person associated with a particular location or occupation.
The earliest known records of the Friedler name can be found in the Bavarian region of Germany, where it was often spelled as "Friedler" or "Friedlär." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One of the earliest documented references to the Friedler name can be found in the "Chronik der Stadt Nürnberg" (Chronicle of the City of Nuremberg), dated 1349. This chronicle mentions a certain "Hans Friedler," a merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg.
In the 15th century, the Friedler name appeared in various records across southern Germany, including the "Böhmische Landtafel" (Bohemian Land Register) of 1472, which listed a "Georg Friedler" as a landowner in the region.
During the 16th century, the Friedler family gained prominence in the city of Augsburg, where several members held influential positions in the local government and trade guilds. One notable figure was Johann Friedler (1524-1592), a successful merchant and city councilor.
As the Friedler family spread across Germany and Europe, the name also evolved into various spellings, such as "Friedler," "Friedlär," "Friedlaender," and "Friedländer." This diversity in spelling reflects the regional dialects and linguistic variations present at the time.
Other notable individuals bearing the Friedler surname include:
1. Johann Friedrich Friedler (1689-1760), a German composer and organist known for his church music compositions.
2. August Friedler (1798-1872), a German chemist and professor at the University of Breslau, renowned for his research on organic compounds.
3. Karl Friedler (1832-1899), a German-Austrian architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna, including the Palais Ferstel.
4. Gustav Friedler (1871-1946), a German-American painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and portraiture.
5. Erich Friedler (1907-1992), a German-Austrian engineer and pioneer in the field of cybernetics, who contributed to the development of control systems and automation.
The Friedler surname has its roots firmly planted in the history and culture of Germany, with a rich tapestry of individuals who have left their mark across various fields, from art and music to science and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Friedler
Among Census respondents with the surname Friedler, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Friedler 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 Friedler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 248
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Friedler
Friedler 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
#83,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 224
-5 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,092 places
2020
#79,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
+35 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 4,489 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #77,742 | 229 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #83,834 | 224 | 0.08 | -5 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 6,092 places |
| 2020 | #79,345 | 259 | 0.09 | +35 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 4,489 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 Friedler 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 | #83,834 | #79,345 | 5.4% |
| Count | 224 | 259 | 15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Friedler bearers went from 224 to 259 (+15.6% change). The surname moved up 4,489 positions in the national ranking, going from #83,834 to #79,345.
FAQ
Friedler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Friedler?
Name Census estimates that about 297 living Americans carry the surname Friedler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,154,055 residents.
How common is Friedler?
Friedler ranks #79,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 259 people with the surname Friedler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Friedler.
Has Friedler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Friedler went from 224 recorded bearers to 259. That is an increase of 35 (+15.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #83,834 to #79,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Friedler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Friedler, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Friedler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (248 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Friedler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.8%), Hispanic (3.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Friedler (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 Friedler mean?
An Anglicized surname derived from the German word meaning "peaceable" or "peaceful." 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 Friedler (0.09 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 Friedler?
You can see how many people have the surname Friedler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.