Friedrich is a strong and classic German male given name, derived from the Germanic elements 'fridu' meaning peace and 'rīc' meaning powerful. It has been used throughout history, notably by figures such as Friedrich Schiller, the renowned German poet and dramatist, and Friedrich Nietzsche, the influential philosopher. The name Friedrich reached its peak popularity in Germany during the late 19th to early 20th centuries but remains a respected and traditional choice today.
The name Friedrich experienced fluctuations in popularity over the past century, with a notable decline in usage from the 1940s to the 1970s, and a resurgence starting in the late 1980s up until recent years. The most popular periods for the name were the early 1960s (peak of 18 births in 1962) and mid-2010s (peak of 26 births in 2019). Despite these trends, the total number of births with the name Friedrich remained relatively low throughout the century, reaching a cumulative total of 602 births by the end of 2023.