Explore the Family Name Froehlich
The meaning of Froehlich
German (mainly Fröhlich) and Jewish (Ashkenazic; also Fröhlich): nickname for a person with a cheerful temperament, from German fröhlich ‘happy, cheerful’ (a derivative of froh ‘happy’, Middle High German frō). The surname Fröhlich is also found in some other European countries, e.g. in the Czechia, Poland, and Slovenia. Compare Frelich, Froelich, Frohlich, and Frolich. Some characteristic forenames: German Erwin, Kurt, Hans, Ulrich, Gerhard, Otto, Reinhardt, Claus, Dieter, Dietrich, Franz, Fritz.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Froehlich in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Froehlich has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 7103rd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had slipped slightly to the 7392nd rank, representing a change of -4.07%. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of people with this surname increased from 4338 to 4504 during the same period, marking growth of 3.83%. The proportion of persons with the Froehlich surname per 100,000 also declined by about 5% within this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,103 | #7,392 | -4.07% |
| Count | 4,338 | 4,504 | 3.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.61 | 1.53 | -4.97% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Froehlich
When looking at the ethnic identity of individuals with the surname Froehlich, there have been some significant changes over the past decade based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of Froehlichs identify as White, although this percentage dropped slightly from 97.33% in 2000 to 95.71% in 2010. There were noticeable increases in individuals identifying as Hispanic (from 0.95% to 1.84%), Black (from 0.16% to 0.36%), and those identifying with two or more races (from 0.78% to 1.31%). Conversely, the proportions of Froehlichs identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native saw minor shifts, increasing and decreasing respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.33% | 95.71% | -1.66% |
| Hispanic | 0.95% | 1.84% | 93.68% |
| Two or More Races | 0.78% | 1.31% | 67.95% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.47% | 20.51% |
| Black | 0.16% | 0.36% | 125% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.39% | 0.31% | -20.51% |
Froehlich 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 Froehlich is French & German, which comprises 41.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (29.8%) and Eastern European (10.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 41.8% |
| British & Irish | 29.8% |
| Eastern European | 10.2% |
| Other | 18.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Froehlich
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 Froehlich have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 63.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 63.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 63.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 63.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 63.60% |
What Froehlich 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 Froehlich is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z381 and I-P109, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wirth, Merrick, Rice, Porter, Abbott, Simons, Noel, Symonds, Lloyd, Fox.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Froehlich surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Froehlich 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Froehlich" Surname 35.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Froehlich" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Froehlich" Surname 21.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Froehlich" Surname 10.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Froehlich?
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 Froehlich are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition