2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Froeba
A habitational surname possibly originating from a location named Froeba.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Froeba. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Froeba 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Froeba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Froeba, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Froeba
The surname "FROEBA" is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "froba," meaning "frog," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname or a descriptive nickname for someone who had some association with frogs or lived near a swampy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "FROEBA" can be found in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where a certain Johannes Froeba was mentioned in a land registry document dating back to the late 14th century. This document indicates that Johannes Froeba was a landowner, suggesting that the family had already established a presence in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the name "FROEBA" appeared in several legal documents and municipal records across various Bavarian towns and villages, indicating the gradual spread of the family throughout the region. One notable example is the record of a certain Margaretha Froeba, born in 1462 in the town of Landshut, who was a prominent member of the local guilds and played an active role in the town's affairs.
As the centuries passed, the "FROEBA" name continued to be found in various parts of Germany, with some individuals achieving notable status. For instance, Johann Froeba (1680-1756), born in the town of Nürnberg, was a respected scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious philosophy.
In the 18th century, the name "FROEBA" gained further recognition with the birth of Friedrich Froeba (1722-1801), a renowned artist and engraver from the city of Dresden. His intricate engravings and etchings were highly sought after by art collectors throughout Europe, and he is considered one of the most prominent figures in the history of German printmaking.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Froeba (1854-1923), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who established several successful manufacturing companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His business ventures played a significant role in the economic development of various regions in Germany.
While the surname "FROEBA" may have originated from a humble occupational or descriptive nickname, it has evolved over the centuries to become a respectable and well-established name in various parts of Germany, with individuals from this lineage making significant contributions to various fields, including academia, art, and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Froeba
Among Census respondents with the surname Froeba, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Froeba 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 Froeba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Froeba
Froeba 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,076 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-15 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,076 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 15,147 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 Froeba 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 | #130,610 | #145,757 | -11.6% |
| Count | 130 | 115 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Froeba bearers went from 130 to 115 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 15,147 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,757.
FAQ
Froeba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Froeba?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Froeba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Froeba?
Froeba ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Froeba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Froeba.
Has Froeba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Froeba went from 130 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Froeba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Froeba, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Froeba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Froeba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Froeba (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 Froeba mean?
A habitational surname possibly originating from a location named Froeba. 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 Froeba (0.04 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 Froeba?
Find out how many people have the last name Froeba on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.