Surname Friederichs - Meaning and Origin
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Friederichs: What does the surname Friederichs mean?
The last name Friederichs is of German origin and is derived from the Germanic personal name Friedrich, which means “peaceful ruler” or “ruler of peace”. The name likely originated from a combination of the German words “frid”, meaning “peace”, and “rich”, meaning “rule”. The name originated as a surname for one who possessed peaceful rule or had the characteristics associated with peaceful rulers.
Today the surname is a surname which is most commonly associated with people of German ancestry. The Friederichs surname is also used by people with other ethnic and national backgrounds. It is also believed to be a somewhat uncommon surname in the United States, but is much more common in countries like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The surname is not only popular in Germany, but also in countries like Canada, the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Belize, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The Friederichs surname shows up in records from as early as the fifteenth century, where it was often used as a patronymic surname, meaning that it was derived from the first name of the father. As a result, the surname Friederichs likely derived from a single ancestor, and it is possible to trace one’s family history through this line.
Order DNA origin analysisFriederichs: Where does the name Friederichs come from?
The last name Friederichs is most common today in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. The name is most frequent in North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, where more than 2,100 people share the name as of 2019. Other regions in Germany where Friederichs is relatively common include Lower Saxony, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg.
Austria also has a significant presence of individuals named Friederichs. More than 850 people in Austria have the last name, most of them living in the state of Vienna.
In addition to Germany and Austria, Friederichs is to be found in some areas of Switzerland, mainly in the Zurich and Basel-Landschaft cantons.
This name is relatively uncommon in other countries outside of German-speaking Europe. Few people in the U.S., for example, have it, as fewer than 100 are currently using it. Likewise, the name is virtually absent in the United Kingdom, France, and the other countries in the region.
Overall, the last name Friederichs is mainly associated with Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland today.
Variations of the surname Friederichs
The surname Friederichs can be spelled in various ways, including Friederich, Freiderichs, Frederichs, Friedrichs, Fredericks, Fredericksen, Fredrichs, Frederich, Friderichs, Friedrics, and Fryderyk.
The origin of this surname is Germanic, which can be traced back to the High Medieval period. The root word ‘fried’ comes from the Old Germanic ‘fridu’ and means ‘peace’. The suffix ‘rich’ also originated from Old Germanic and means ‘ruler’. Therefore, the name is traditionally interpreted as 'leader of peace'.
In countries with Germanic backgrounds, the surnames Friederichs, Friederich, Freiderichs, Frederichs, Friedrichs, Fredericks, Fredericksen, Fredrichs, Frederich, Friderichs, Friedrics, and Fryderyk can be found. Over time, variations of the name have been developed in various other European countries such as Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
In the English-speaking world, the variations Fredericks, Fredericksen, and Frederich are popular variants of the name Friederichs.
The surname Friederichs has ties to several notable individuals, most notably Georg Friederich Handel, a German composer in the Baroque era. Other well-known individuals with the surname Friederichs include René Friederich, a Swiss handball player; United States Air Force Lieutenant General Hans J. Friederichs Jr., born in Germany; Johann Friederichs, a Dutch politician; and German footballer Sebastian Friederichs.
Famous people with the name Friederichs
- Bismarck Friederichs: born in 1891, was a German urologist and surgeon.
- Paul Friederichs: A German actor and musician, best known for his role on the popular tv show, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit".
- Alfred Friederichs: A German politician who served in the government during World War II.
- Ulli Friederichs: A former German international football player.
- Max Friederichs: A German stage and silent film actor.
- Ernst Wilhelm Friederichs: A German admiral during World War I.
- Eduard Friederichs: A German architect and sculptor who designed the Friederichs Monument, a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I.
- Walter Friederichs: A German voice actor who did work for Disney.
- Friedrich Friederichs: A German classical philologist and literary critic.
- Albert Adolf Friederichs: A German engraver and publisher.