NameCensus.

UK surname

Fritz

A German surname derived from a diminutive of the personal name Friedrich, meaning "peaceful ruler."

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Fritz surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 224, ranked #18,164, up from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, South Kesteven and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fritz is 236 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.6%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

224

2016, ranked #18,164

Peak year

2013

236 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fritz had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016, ranked #18,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 222 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Fritz surname distribution map

The map shows where the Fritz surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Fritz surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fritz over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2 #33,133
1861 historical 29 #30,287
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 153 #17,844
1911 historical 222 #13,992
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 168 #20,312
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 181 #19,334
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 187 #19,271
2008 modern 196 #18,895
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 229 #17,805
2011 modern 218 #18,206
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 234 #17,662
2015 modern 232 #17,689
2016 modern 224 #18,164

Geography

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Where Fritz' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, South Kesteven, Croydon, Tendring and Lambeth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 034 Doncaster
2 South Kesteven 006 South Kesteven
3 Croydon 017 Croydon
4 Tendring 003 Tendring
5 Lambeth 033 Lambeth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fritz

These lists show first names that appear often with the Fritz surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fritz

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fritz, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Fritz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Fritz household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fritz is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fritz is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fritz falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fritz is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fritz, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fritz

The surname Fritz originated in Germany and is derived from the old Germanic word "Fridu" which means peace. It was originally used as a nickname for someone with a peaceful nature or as a derivation of the personal name Friedrich.

The name first appeared in records from the Middle Ages, with variations such as Frits, Fritzke, and Fritzchen. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the medieval German epic poem "Das Nibelungenlied" which mentions a character named Fritz.

In the 13th century, there are records of a knight named Fritz von Staufen who served under the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, listing a landowner named Fritschi.

Notable individuals with the surname Fritz include:

1. Johann Jakob Fritz (1668-1722), a German painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works.

2. John Fritz (1822-1913), an American inventor and pioneer in the steel industry, born in Pennsylvania to German immigrant parents.

3. Walter Fritz (1901-1983), a German World War II flying ace credited with over 100 aerial victories.

4. Gerd Fritz (born 1944), a German former professional football player and manager, who played for Bayern Munich and the West German national team.

5. Marianne Fritz (born 1948), an Austrian politician and member of the European Parliament, representing the Green Party.

The name has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Fritzlar, a town in the state of Hesse, and Fritzburg, a castle ruin in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fritz families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fritz surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 51 Fritz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.75x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 51 4.75x
Yorkshire 20 1.88x
Essex 6 2.83x
Northumberland 6 3.76x
Sussex 6 3.32x
Derbyshire 5 2.98x
Warwickshire 4 1.48x
Surrey 3 0.57x
Cardiganshire 2 7.64x
Berkshire 1 1.24x
Glamorgan 1 0.54x
Hampshire 1 0.45x
Inverness-shire 1 3.12x
Kent 1 0.27x
Somerset 1 0.58x
Stirlingshire 1 2.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 19 Fritz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.65x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 19 31.65x
St Dunstan In West London 13 3939.39x
St George Hanover Square 10 52.88x
Heston 8 224.72x
Eastbourne 6 72.12x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 72.46x
Derby St Peter 5 93.46x
Spitalfields London 5 61.96x
Westminster St John 5 38.26x
Birmingham 4 4.44x
St George Bloomsbury 4 64.94x
Limehouse London 3 25.47x
Walthamstow 3 39.37x
West Ham 3 6.42x
Aberystwith 2 88.89x
St Botolph Aldgate London 2 90.50x
Grangemouth 1 2000.00x
Holy Trinity 1 3.91x
Inverness 1 12.41x
Lambeth 1 1.07x
Milton In Gravesend 1 18.21x
Newbury 1 38.76x
Paddington London 1 2.53x
St Lawrence Winchester 1 1111.11x
Swansea Town 1 6.53x
Wandsworth 1 9.68x
Weston 1 75.19x
Wimbledon 1 17.04x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Fritz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Maria 3
Rachel 3
Agnes 2
Bertha 2
Catherine 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cecilia 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Dinah 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Etty 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Henriette 1
Jeanne 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Loussarll 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosy 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1
Teresa 1
Willimeina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Fritz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 6
Charles 4
William 4
Joseph 3
Abraham 2
Daniel 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Sidney 2
Solomon 2
Thomas 2
Augustus 1
Barnard 1
Carl 1
Christian 1
Christopher 1
Clara 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Ferindornf 1
Fred 1
Frilie 1
G. 1
George 1
Henri 1
Hyman 1
Jacob 1
Julius 1
Karl 1
Matthew 1
Morris 1
Samuel 1
Soloman 1
Stanley 1
Walter 1
Wilhelm 1

FAQ

Fritz surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fritz surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Fritz surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fritz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016. That gives Fritz a modern rank of #18,164.

What does the Fritz surname mean?

A German surname derived from a diminutive of the personal name Friedrich, meaning "peaceful ruler."

What does the Fritz map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fritz bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.