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

Friesen, 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 Friesen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Friesen in America

Friesen is the 4721st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Friesen surname appeared 7,512 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Friesen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Friesen 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 Friesen

The surname Friesen is of German origin, derived from the word "Frese" or "Frise," which refers to a Frisian or someone from the region of Friesland in northern Germany and the Netherlands. The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when the Frisians were known for their seafaring and trading activities along the coasts of the North Sea.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical documents and records from the regions of Friesland and East Frisia. In the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries related to individuals with the name Frese or Frise, suggesting the presence of Frisian settlers in England at the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johan Friesen, a merchant and shipowner from the city of Emden in East Frisia, who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Rembert Friesen, a Frisian scholar and theologian who lived from 1560 to 1630 and was known for his work on Frisian language and literature.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, many Friesians migrated to other parts of Europe and even to North America, carrying their surname with them. Among those who settled in the New World were Mennonite families from the Frisian regions of Prussia and Russia, who established communities in areas such as Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Manitoba.

One prominent bearer of the Friesen name was Peter Martin Friesen (1849-1914), a Mennonite leader and historian from Russia who played a significant role in the migration of Mennonites to North America in the late 19th century. Another notable figure was Jacob Friesen (1808-1881), a Mennonite minister and leader who helped establish Mennonite settlements in Kansas and Nebraska.

Other notable individuals with the surname Friesen include Hermann Friesen (1885-1964), a German-Canadian artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits, and Walther Friesen (1888-1971), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities.

Overall, the surname Friesen has a rich history and can be traced back to the Frisian people of northern Germany and the Netherlands, who were known for their seafaring and trading activities during the Middle Ages and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Friesen

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

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

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

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