Show ContentsFritsch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Fritsch

What does the name Fritsch mean?

Similar to many German family names, the distinguished surname Fritsch is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Germany were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. German patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century and the most common patronymic suffix is "-ez." The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Fritsch is derived from the Old German personal name Friedrich, which is composed of the elements "fridu" meaning "peace" or "safety", and "rihhi," meaning "powerful."

Early Origins of the Fritsch family

The surname Fritsch was first found in Saxony, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century on the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Fritsch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fritsch research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1547, 1590, 1629, 1665, 1701, 1730, 1742 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Fritsch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fritsch Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Frisch, Frische, Fritsch, Fritsche, Fritschl, Frischi (Switzerland) and many more.

Early Notables of the Fritsch family

More information is included under the topic Early Fritsch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fritsch Ranking

In the United States, the name Fritsch is the 10,227th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Fritsch is ranked the 1,063rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,072 people with that name. 2


Fritsch migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fritsch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Philip Fritsch, who settled in Philadelphia in 1737
  • Christian Fritsch, who settled in Philadelphia in 1743
  • Jacob Fritsch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 3
  • Adam Fritsch, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 3
  • Johann Jacob Fritsch, who arrived in New York, NY in 1782 3
Fritsch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Fried Chris Fritsch, from Germany who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Herschel" in 1844
  • Johan Fritsch, aged 28, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 3
  • Joseph Fritsch, aged 21, who arrived in New York, NY in 1851 3
  • Friedrich August Fritsch, who arrived in America in 1854 3
  • Heinrich Fritsch, who arrived in America in 1854 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fritsch (post 1700) +

  • Otto Fritsch, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1908 4
  • Joseph Fritsch, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 38th District, 1936 4
  • Homer C. Fritsch (1894-1957), American politician, Mayor of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, 1950-57; Died in office 1957 4
  • Harry Fritsch Jr., American politician, Burgess of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, 1960 4
  • Thomas Fritsch (1944-2021), German film, television and dubbing actor
  • Joseph Fritsch (b. 1998), French Para-cyclist, gold medalist at the 2024 Paralympics
  • Gerhard Fritsch (1924-1969), Austrian writer of poetry and radio plays
  • Antonin Fritsch (1832-1913), Czech paleontologist, biologist and geologist
  • Felix Eugen Fritsch FRS (1879-1954), British biologist awarded the Darwin Medal in 1950


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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