2000
#6,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,709
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.75
Rare Last name
Frisch
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to someone who sold fresh produce or caught fresh fish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,330 Americans carry the last name Frisch. That puts it at #6,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frisch 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
5.3K
1 in 64,307
Census rank
#6,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,648 bearers of the surname Frisch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frisch
The surname Frisch is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "frisch," which means "fresh" or "brisk." Its roots can be traced back to the 13th century, with the earliest known recorded instances of the name appearing in various German towns and villages.
The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname, referring to someone who exhibited a lively, vigorous, or energetic demeanor. It may have been bestowed upon individuals known for their vibrant personalities or those who displayed a youthful spirit. Alternatively, it could have been given to people who lived near a freshwater source or worked in an occupation related to fresh produce or goods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Frisch surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Frisch," "Frische," and "Frissche," reflecting the regional variations and cultural influences of the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann Frisch (1505-1564) served as a Lutheran theologian and reformer in Saxony. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Another historical figure bearing the Frisch surname was Johann Leonhard Frisch (1666-1743), a German entomologist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of insects and authored several influential works, including "Beschreibung von allerley Insecten in Teutschland" (Description of Various Insects in Germany).
During the 18th century, the Frisch name gained prominence in the field of literature with Johann Jakob Frisch (1709-1776), a German playwright and poet. He is best known for his satirical works and comedies, which reflected the social and cultural norms of his time.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Frisch surname was Max Frisch (1911-1991), a Swiss playwright and novelist. His works, including "Homo Faber" and "Andorra," explored existential themes and the complexities of human relationships. Frisch is regarded as one of the most influential German-language authors of the 20th century.
Another prominent figure was Ragnar Frisch (1895-1973), a Norwegian economist and statistician. He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1969 for his pioneering work in econometrics and the development of dynamic economic models.
While the surname Frisch has its roots in Germany, it has since spread across various regions and countries, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including literature, science, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frisch
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Frisch 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 Frisch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 4,307
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 137
- Two or more races2.6% · 122
- Black or African American0.8% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frisch
Frisch 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
#6,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,033
+324 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#6,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,648
-385 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,627 | 4,709 | 1.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,710 | 5,033 | 1.71 | +324 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #6,965 | 4,648 | 1.56 | -385 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 255 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 Frisch 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 | #6,710 | #6,965 | -3.8% |
| Count | 5,033 | 4,648 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.56 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frisch bearers went from 5,033 to 4,648 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 255 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,710 to #6,965.
FAQ
Frisch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frisch?
Name Census estimates that about 5,330 living Americans carry the surname Frisch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,307 residents.
How common is Frisch?
Frisch ranks #6,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,648 people with the surname Frisch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Frisch.
Has Frisch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frisch went from 5,033 recorded bearers to 4,648. That is a decrease of 385 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,710 to #6,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Frisch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Frisch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (4,307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frisch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Frisch (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 Frisch mean?
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to someone who sold fresh produce or caught fresh fish. 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 Frisch (1.56 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 many people are called Frisch?
Want to know how common the surname Frisch is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.