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Fries Family History

Fries Name Meaning

German Dutch Jewish (from the Netherlands) Danish and Swedish: ethnic name for someone from Friesland province in the Netherlands and a region in northwestern Germany in the Middle Ages part of the larger northwest region Fresia. This form of the surname is rare in the Netherlands but very common in Germany. Compare De Fries and De Vries . German Dutch Danish and Swedish: from the personal name Friso which refers to the ethnic name (see 1 above). South German: occupational name for a builder of dams and dikes. The word was used in this sense in various parts of Germany and Switzerland during the Middle Ages and is perhaps a transferred use of the ethnic term dike building being a characteristic occupation of Frieslanders.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Fried, Ries, Kries, Friis, Pries, Frees, Frier, Gries, Friez, Friesz

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Fries family from?

You can see how Fries families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fries family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fries families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 19 Fries families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 41% of all the recorded Fries's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Fries families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fries surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fries ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fries. 13% of Fries men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Fries women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fries were Clerk and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Fries | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    9%
  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Fries family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Fries. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fries census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Fries

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Fries. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Fries immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Fries. For the veterans among your Fries ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fries military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fries family history

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What is the average Fries lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Fries life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Fries in 1944 was 23, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fries

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