Fritz
Masculine · “peaceful ruler”
Fritz is Friedrich shortened — peaceful ruler in Germanic — and it became English slang for a German in two world wars.
How old is the name Fritz?
Fritz was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Fritz alive today was born around 1954, making them about 71 years old. About 3,700 people named Fritz are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Fritz most popular?
Fritz peaked in 1888, reaching #387 nationally. Today it ranks #2718, 2,331 places below that high. See the whole 1888 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From frid ric to Fritz
The story of Fritz
Friedrich the Great made Prussia a great power and wrote flute sonatas; Fritz is the everyday shortening. English took it as a nickname for German soldiers in both wars, and 'on the fritz' — meaning broken — is of uncertain but probably related origin. It appears in American records in current use.
Meaning
peaceful ruler
Through Friedrich, from the Germanic frid, 'peace', and ric, 'ruler'. Fritz is the standard German short form. It was used as a generic term for a German soldier in both world wars. The elements are documented.
How the name formed
- frid ric
- Friedrich
- Fritz
Related forms: Fritz · Friedrich · Frederick
Pronouncing Fritz
FRITS
One syllable. German says it the same way.
Nicknames for Fritz
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1957103 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #387reached in 1888
- Change vs 2022
- −7.8%47 in 2025, from 51
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Fritz in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Fritz in German — same name
- Friedrich in German — related form
- Frederick in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, Florida, California.
Fritzs among us
people named Fritz are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 36,342 born in 2025 was named Fritz
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Fritz sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Fritz is headed
Fritz should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Fritz beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Fritz in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The peaceful-ruler meaning is transparent and strong.
- Friedrich is available as a full formal version.
- One syllable, sharp, and never mispronounced.
- It was wartime slang for a German soldier.
- 'On the fritz' means broken in American English.
- It reads as strongly German.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Fritz to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Fritz? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Fritz
Masculine · #2718 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Fritzs are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 3,700 people named Fritz are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Fritz in 2025?
- Fritz ranks #2718 among US boy names in 2025, with 47 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Fritz?
- About 1 in every 36,342 US boys born in 2025 was named Fritz — 47 in all.
- Will my child share the name Fritz with classmates?
- Fritz will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Fritz
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Einar#2718 · Kurtis#2718 · Sasha#2718 · Jovany#2718 · Ahsan#2718 · Xavien#2718 · Yassin#2718 · Unknown#2718
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Fritz? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Fritz and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle