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Frank Family History

Frank Surname Meaning

German Dutch Scandinavian Slovenian Croatian Czech Slovak Polish Hungarian and Jewish (Ashkenazic): ethnic or habitational name for someone from Franconia (German Franken) a region of southwestern Germany so called from its early settlement by the Franks an ancient Germanic people who inhabited the lands around the River Rhine in Roman times. In the 6th–9th centuries under leaders such as Clovis I (c. 466–511) and Charlemagne (742–814) the Franks established a substantial empire in western Europe from which the country of France takes its name. English (of Norman origin) Dutch and German: from the personal name Frank (Norman French Franco ancient Germanic Franko) in origin an ethnic name for a Frank or from German Franke ‘Frank(ish) Franconian’ (compare 1 above). This also came to be used as an adjective meaning ‘free open-hearted generous’ (Middle English and Old French franc ‘free’ i.e. not a serf or slave) deriving from the fact that in Frankish Gaul only people of Frankish race enjoyed the status of fully free men. As a surname of German origin it is also found (in both possible meanings; see 1 above) in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Franc and Franck .

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


Similar surnames: Franko, Franc, Rank, Franco, Raak, Brank, Frano, Fink, Frink, Crank

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Frank family from?

You can see how Frank families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Frank family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Frank families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 100 Frank families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 27% of all the recorded Frank's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Frank families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Frank surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Frank ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Frank. 12% of Frank men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Frank women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Frank were Clerk and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Frank | 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
    12%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%
  • Teacher
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Frank family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 431,000 census records available for the last name Frank. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Frank census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Frank

Passenger Lists

There are 103,000 immigration records available for the last name Frank. 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 Frank immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 126,000 military records available for the last name Frank. For the veterans among your Frank ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Frank family history

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What is the average Frank lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Frank life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Frank in 1943 was 49, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Frank

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Frank family tree

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