Explore the Family Name Franz

The meaning of Franz

1. German: from the personal name Franz, from Latin Franciscus (see Francis). This form of the surname is also found in Poland, Czechia, and France (Alsace and Lorraine). 2. Germanized or Americanized form of Polish, Czech, or Slovak Franc 2, Slovenian or Croatian Franc 3. Some characteristic forenames: German Helmut, Hans, Kurt, Wilhelm, Dieter, Fritz, Johannes, Manfred, Otto, Erwin, Ewald, Gerhard.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Franz in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Franz has seen a slight decline over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the Franz surname ranked 2853rd in popularity with a count of 11,553. However, by 2010, the rank had slipped to 3153rd with a total of 11,462 bearers of the name - a decrease of 0.79%. The proportion of people with the surname Franz per 100k also fell by 9.11% from 4.28 in 2000 to 3.89 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#2,853#3,153-10.52%
Count11,55311,462-0.79%
Proportion per 100k4.283.89-9.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Franz

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes among those bearing the Franz surname between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of those with this surname identified as White (95.84% in 2000, decreasing mildly to 94.04% in 2010), there were notable increases among other ethnic identities. The percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander almost doubled, growing from 0.60% to 0.99%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase of 57.77%, moving from 2.06% to 3.25%. Those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw growths of 58.33% and 33.33% respectively, albeit from smaller bases. Individuals reporting two or more races remained constant at 1.02% across both years.

20002010Change
White95.84%94.04%-1.88%
Hispanic2.06%3.25%57.77%
Two or More Races1.02%1.02%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.6%0.99%65%
Black0.24%0.38%58.33%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.24%0.32%33.33%

Franz ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Franz is French & German, which comprises 39.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (33.4%) and Eastern European (9.6%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
French & German39.2%
British & Irish33.4%
Eastern European9.6%
Other17.8%
Franz

Possible origins of the surname Franz

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Franz have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom70.00%
Greater London, United Kingdom70.00%
Merseyside, United Kingdom69.70%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom69.70%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom69.40%

What Franz haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Franz is R-CTS3402, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3402 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Baumann, Swartz, Lange, Beyer, Schroeder, Koehler, Humphrey, Kraft, Zimmer, Kaiser.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Franz surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

franzPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Franz have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Franz

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Franz" Surname 37.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Franz

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Franz" Surname 18.1%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Franz

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Franz" Surname 18.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Franz

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Franz" Surname 17.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Franz?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Franz are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

French & German 60.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%