Fritz is a Germanic male given name of uncertain origin and meaning. The name Fritz is typically associated with German culture due to its widespread use in Germany throughout history.
The most common theory about the origin of the name Fritz is that it is a short form of Friedrich or Friedrichrich, which are both derived from the Old High German elements "fried" meaning peace and "ric" meaning powerful. Therefore, Fritz could be translated as "peaceful ruler".
Another theory suggests that Fritz might have evolved independently from the Frankish name Friduric, which also means "peaceful ruler". However, this hypothesis is less widely accepted than the first one.
The use of Fritz as an independent given name dates back to the Middle Ages in Germany. It became particularly popular during the 19th century and was often used alongside more traditional names like Johannes or Wilhelm. Today, Fritz remains a common male name throughout German-speaking countries.
Some notable individuals named Fritz include:
* Fritz Lang (1890-1976), an Austrian-German film director known for his contributions to the silent film era
* Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), an Austrian-born violinist and composer of Jewish origin
* Fritz Leiber (1910-1992), an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature
In popular culture, the name Fritz has been used in various contexts. For instance, "Fritz the Cat" is a famous animated film directed by Ralph Bakshi in 1972, while "Fritz" was also the name given to a recurring character in the video game series "Metal Gear Solid".
The statistics provided show the annual number of births with the name "Fritz" in the United States from 1880 to 2023.
From 1880 to 1906, the number of births with the name Fritz fluctuated between a low of 7 births in 1901 and a high of 19 births in 1907. During this period, there was an overall downward trend in the popularity of the name.
However, starting from 1912, we observe a significant increase in the number of births with the name Fritz, with 32 births that year. This upward trend continued throughout the following decades, reaching a peak of 107 births in 1956.
The popularity of the name Fritz remained relatively high until the late 1960s and early 1970s, but it began to decline thereafter. From 1974 onwards, the number of births with the name Fritz fluctuated between a low of 21 births in 1994 and a high of 63 births in 2018.
In recent years, there has been some resurgence in the popularity of the name Fritz. Between 2016 and 2023, the number of births with this name ranged from 37 to 58, indicating that it remains a recognizable and occasionally chosen name for newborns in the United States.
In total, there have been 6,577 births with the name Fritz in the United States between 1880 and 2023.