2000
#5,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.12
Rare Last name
Fritts
Derived from the German name Fritz, a diminutive of Friedrich, meaning "peaceful ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,050 Americans carry the last name Fritts. That puts it at #6,217 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,654 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fritts 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
6.0K
1 in 56,654
Census rank
#6,217
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,276 bearers of the surname Fritts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6217th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fritts, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fritts
The surname Fritts is believed to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "frith," which means a wooded area or forest. This suggests that the name was originally an occupational name or a locational name referring to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fritts can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1230, which mention a person named Robert de Frythe. Other early spellings include Fryth, Frith, and Frithe. These variations are indicative of the name's evolution over time and across different regions of England.
The name Fritts has also been associated with various place names, such as Frith in Lincolnshire and Frith Banc in Somerset. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Fritts. One example is John Frith (c. 1503-1533), an English Protestant martyr and writer who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the English Reformation. Another is Samuel Frith (1589-1657), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Moving forward, we find William Fritts (1686-1760), an early American settler who immigrated from England to Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. His descendants played a significant role in the history of the United States, with some becoming prominent figures in various fields.
Another notable figure was Mary Fritts (1859-1947), an American author and educator from Missouri. She was known for her work in promoting education and literacy in rural areas.
In more recent times, there have been several individuals with the surname Fritts who have achieved recognition, such as Thomas Fritts (1933-2019), an American film and television actor best known for his role in the television series "Benson."
The surname Fritts has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in the natural landscape and occupations of the time. While the name has evolved and spread across different regions and countries, it remains a testament to the enduring legacy of surnames and their connection to the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fritts
Among Census respondents with the surname Fritts, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fritts 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 Fritts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 4,701
- Two or more races4.0% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 163
- Black or African American2.3% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fritts
Fritts 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
#5,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,883
+166 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 289 places
2020
#6,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,276
-607 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,575 | 5,717 | 2.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,864 | 5,883 | 1.99 | +166 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 289 places |
| 2020 | #6,217 | 5,276 | 1.77 | -607 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 353 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 Fritts 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 | #5,864 | #6,217 | -6.0% |
| Count | 5,883 | 5,276 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.99 | 1.77 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fritts bearers went from 5,883 to 5,276 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 353 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,864 to #6,217.
FAQ
Fritts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fritts?
Name Census estimates that about 6,050 living Americans carry the surname Fritts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,654 residents.
How common is Fritts?
Fritts ranks #6,217 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.77 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 5,276 people with the surname Fritts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,050), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.77 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 Fritts.
Has Fritts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fritts went from 5,883 recorded bearers to 5,276. That is a decrease of 607 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,864 to #6,217.
What does the Census say about the background of Fritts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fritts, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Fritts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (4,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fritts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Fritts (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 Fritts mean?
Derived from the German name Fritz, a diminutive of Friedrich, meaning "peaceful ruler." 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 Fritts (1.77 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 Fritts?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.