Friedman
A surname meaning “son of Fried,” built on a Germanic personal name related to peace.
The #901 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,046 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Friedman is generally understood as a patronymic surname formed from the Germanic element fried, meaning “peace.” In this sense, it can be read as “son of Fried” or “man of peace,” depending on the local naming tradition behind it. The name is especially common among Jewish families from German- and Yiddish-speaking communities, where it often arose as a fixed hereditary surname.
History
The surname spread widely in Central and Eastern Europe and later became common in North America through 19th- and early-20th-century migration. In English-language records it is often associated with Jewish families, though the same spelling can also appear in broader German contexts. The form with -man is a very common surname pattern in both German and Yiddish.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same peace-related root also appears in many German names built on Fried-, such as Friedrich and Frieden.
From the historical record
“tory I find Mr. Blase, Mr. IIauch* (German for " smoke "), and even Mr. AViiiteheat ; as also Boil, Boiler, Brand, Brande, Fried, Friedman. As a relief to these names, we find Mr. Fanning. He also appears in our Directory for 1858. Mr. Fanner was an Irish volunteer in 1804. Both parts of Mr. Au- gust Fries's name…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)Notable people named Friedman
- Milton Friedman (1912–2006)
- Jerome Isaac Friedman (b. 1930)
- Alexander Friedmann (1888–1925)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.