Franz is a name of German origin, derived from the Latin name Franciscus, which means "free" or "frank". It was popularized during the Middle Ages in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, an Italian friar who lived in the 13th century and is known for his kindness and devotion to poverty.
The name Franz became particularly common in Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking countries. In these regions, it has been used throughout history and continues to be popular today. In some cases, it may also be used as a surname.
Historically, notable figures named Franz include Franz Kafka, a famous Czech novelist known for his works such as "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial". Additionally, Emperor Franz Joseph I was the ruler of Austria-Hungary from 1848 until his death in 1916. The name Franz has also been used by royalty throughout history, including members of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
In the English-speaking world, Franz is less commonly used as a given name but may be encountered occasionally. It can be considered an alternative to more common names like Francis or Frank. Overall, Franz is a classic and historic name with a strong connection to German culture and heritage.
Based on the statistics provided for the given name Franz in the United States from 1889 to 2023, we can observe several trends and patterns over time.
From 1889 to 1965, there were varying numbers of births each year, ranging from a low of 5 births in some years up to a high of 59 births in 1963. The average number of births per year during this period was approximately 24 births.
From 1966 onwards, the popularity of the name Franz began to decline significantly. Between 1966 and 2023, there were only 7 years where more than 25 births were recorded for Franz. The highest number of births in this period was 48 in 1962, but this was an exception as most years had fewer than 40 births.
In recent years, the name Franz has become even less popular, with only double-digit numbers of births reported between 2015 and 2023. The lowest recorded number of births for Franz in the United States was 8 in 2019.
Overall, a total of 2828 births were recorded for the name Franz in the United States from 1889 to 2023. While Franz was once a popular name with varying popularity throughout much of the 20th century, it has become increasingly uncommon in recent decades.