Surname Friedrichowitz - Meaning and Origin
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Friedrichowitz: What does the surname Friedrichowitz mean?
The last name Friedrichowitz (alternately spelled Fritscherowicz, Fritzewicz, etc.) is a German surname meaning “son of Friedrich”. This origin dates back to the Middle Ages, when the name Friedrich was popularly bestowed upon Germanic males, and was often confused with the older name Fridericus. It was used to distinguish between father and son.
Throughout German history, there were many versions of the name Friedrich. The most famous example of a person with the name Friedrichowitz was Field Marshal Hermann von Friedrichowitz, the youngest son of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm. He was the German Army Chief of Staff in World War I and was awarded the Order of the Iron Cross.
Friedrichowitz was one of the many German-sounding surnames that underwent changes in spelling due to immigration to other countries. It was not uncommon for immigrants to have their names Anglicized or exchanged for other identifiably German names, so as to facilitate integration into the country to which they were migrating.
Both in Germany and abroad, Friedrichowitz and its variants represent a part of German-speaking population’s rich and sometimes tumultuous history. As a result, it carries a great deal of significance and continues to be a popular surname to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisFriedrichowitz: Where does the name Friedrichowitz come from?
The last name Friedrichowitz is found primarily in Germany and other areas of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in countries that were formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In Germany, Friedrichowitz is one of the top 500 common surnames, suggesting that it is still quite popular. It is also common in Austria, Poland, and other nearby countries.
The surname originates from an old German noble family that had estates in the East Prussian region during the 13th century. This region is now part of Poland. The Friedrichowitz family was prominent in this area over the centuries, and its name became widely used for those living in the area. Today, it is more likely to be found in areas that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire before World War I, such as Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia.
Friedrichowitz is also found in the United States, with an estimated 3,000-4,000 people bearing the name according to the US Census Bureau. The majority of Friedrichowitz families in America emigrated from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of them can be found in large cities with long-established German or Eastern European immigrant communities, such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland.
Variations of the surname Friedrichowitz
The surname Friedrichowitz is derived from a German town called Friedrichowitz located in the district of Schleswig-Holstein. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Friedrichowitz include:
Friedrichwitz, Frederichwitz, Freiderichwitz, Friedrichswitz, Federowsky, Freidrich, Freiderich, Fredrich, Frederich, Fredrichswitz, Fredershewitz, Frederitswitz, Friedrichson, Friedric, Freidric, Friederichson, Fredrichson, Friedrickson, Friedrikrych, Fredrikych, Friedrick, Freiderick, Freidrick, Fredericksen, Fredrickson, Fredricson, Freijdricht, Friedricharst, Friederichsdorfer, Fedorowitz, Fiederichowitz, Fiederikowitz, Fielderowitz, Fedorwitch, Federwitsch, Freid Middleson, Friejewits, Fiejewits and Freidiwitz.
These surnames are mostly observed and used in communities of Germanic and other Eastern European origin. Although these spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin cannot necessarily be authoritatively linked to a specific branch of the Friedrichowitz family, they can be used as a point of reference for further family history investigation.
Famous people with the name Friedrichowitz
- Max Friedrichowitz (1842–1924), German anatomist, embryologist, and professor of anatomy at the University of Strasbourg
- Erwin Friedrichowitz (1884–1955), German naturalist, herpetologist, and entomologist
- Brigitte Friedrichowitz (born 1946), German painter
- Bertam Friedrichowitz (born 1894), German philosopher
- Johannes Friedrichowitz (born 1960), German historian
- Karl Friedrichowitz (1794–1870), Prussian politician
- Jürgen Friedrichowitz (born 1936), German Nobel laureate in Chemistry
- Gertrude Friedrichowitz (1906–2001), German journalist and first minister of the East German Supreme Court
- Eberhard Friedrichowitz (1889–1976), German fighter pilot
- Ulrich Friedrichowitz (1947–2010), German film producer and director