2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Frishberg
A Slavic surname possibly derived from a place name related to fresh or new.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Frishberg. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frishberg 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Frishberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frishberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frishberg
The surname Frishberg has its origins in the German language, with roots traceable back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have emerged from the northern regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in areas surrounding the city of Hamburg and the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Frishberg is thought to be derived from the Old German words "frisch" and "berg," translating roughly to "fresh hill" or "new hill." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with families residing in newly established or freshly settled areas, possibly near elevated terrain or hills.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Frishberg surname can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the Archdiocese of Bremen, dated around 1280. The name appears in the form "Frischeberg," likely referring to a person or family from a location bearing a similar name.
In the 15th century, the Frishberg name gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where several merchants and tradesmen bore the surname. Notable among them was Hans Frishberg, a successful merchant and ship owner who lived from 1425 to 1492.
As the centuries progressed, the Frishberg surname spread across various regions of Germany and beyond. In the 18th century, a family branch settled in the Netherlands, where the name was recorded as "Frisbergen" in local records.
One of the most notable figures bearing the Frishberg name was Johann Friedrich Frishberg (1713-1782), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics. His works, including "Treatise on the Immortality of the Soul" and "Thoughts on the Existence of God," were widely read and influential in his time.
Other prominent individuals with the Frishberg surname include:
1. Wilhelm Frishberg (1790-1864), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural works.
2. Amalie Frishberg (1832-1901), a Danish novelist and feminist activist who advocated for women's rights and education.
3. Heinrich Frishberg (1856-1923), a German industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Frishberg Foundation for the promotion of arts and sciences.
4. Elsa Frishberg (1874-1948), an Austrian opera singer and vocal pedagogue who taught at the Vienna Conservatory.
5. Kurt Frishberg (1920-2005), an American jazz pianist, composer, and lyricist best known for his contributions to the Great American Songbook.
While the Frishberg surname has evolved and spread across various regions, its roots can be traced back to the northern German lands, where it emerged as a distinct family name centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frishberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Frishberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frishberg 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 Frishberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frishberg
Frishberg 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,585 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 14,585 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,677 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 Frishberg 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 | #158,432 | #154,755 | 2.3% |
| Count | 102 | 102 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frishberg bearers went from 102 to 102 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,755.
FAQ
Frishberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frishberg?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Frishberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Frishberg?
Frishberg ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Frishberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Frishberg.
Has Frishberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frishberg went from 102 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Frishberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frishberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) 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 Frishberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frishberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%), 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 Frishberg (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 Frishberg mean?
A Slavic surname possibly derived from a place name related to fresh or new. 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 Frishberg (0.03 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 have the surname Frishberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.