Franz
A surname that usually began as a German, Dutch, or Central European form of the given name Franz, equivalent to Francis or Frank.
The #3,153 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,936 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Franz is most commonly a surname taken from the medieval personal name Franz, the German form of Francis. That first name ultimately goes back to Latin Franciscus, meaning “Frankish” or “of the Franks.” In surname use, it typically signaled “son of Franz” or simply identified someone by that common given name.
History
The name appears widely in German-speaking areas and also in neighboring regions influenced by German, Dutch, or French naming practice. In English-language records it often appears among immigrant families from German lands, especially from the 19th century onward. Because Franz is also a well-known given name, some bearers may have inherited the surname independently in different places.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Franz also gave English the surnames Francis, Frank, and Franco.
From the historical record
“Screech Franz Hum Catherine”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom