Baby Name of the Day Fritz: Antique Nickname Charmer

The baby name Fritz steps out with a classic-cool vibe in shades of black and white.

Thanks to Emily for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME FRITZ MEAN?

Fritz started out as a nickname for Friedrich, the German form of Frederick.

Frederick comes from Old German elements meaning peace and ruler. The Normans brought it to English, but it didn’t stick until the 18th century. That’s when the German House of Hanover inherited the English throne and brought all sorts of German-leaning names back.

As nicknames go, Fritz traces back to the middle ages, along with forms like Fritzen and the feminine Fritzi.

During the 19th century, German Emperor Frederick III answered to the nickname. He was the son-in-law of Queen Victoria. 

Particularly during the first World War, Fritz served as a generic term for any German solider. By the 1940s, Jerry became the name of choice.

Fritz also became a surname, related to all the Frederick names. It spread across Europe, into Scandinavia as well as the Slavic countries. 

FRITZ IN POP CULTURE

Other uses for the name include:

• In the early part of the 20th century, “on the fritz” became a term meaning “not working.” It particularly applied to electronics, and might’ve come from the sound of an electric spark.
• Filmmaker Fritz Lang became an innovator filmmaker, best remembered for 1927’s Metropolis. The movie inspired Madonna’s 1989 video for “Express Yourself.”
• Science fiction author Fritz Leiber was a Hugo Award-winning writer from the 1950s. He’s the son of actor Fritz Leiber, who started out as a Shakespearean stage actor before moving on to silent films and eventually spending years as a character actor as Hollywood transitioned to sound.
• Cartoonist R. Crumb gave the name to an X-rated cat during the 1960s. It eventually became a 1972 film animation.
• Other animals by the name include a dolphin in some non-Disney versions of The Little Mermaid and a horse from the 2012 Quentin Tarantino movie Django Unchained.
• Characters from the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game, LEGO Ninjago, and television series The Closer all answered to the name.
• In The Nutcracker, it’s the name of Clara’s little brother.
• The oldest brother in The Sound of Music is a Friedrich, called Fritz.  

ARE FRITZ and FITZ RELATED?

Despite the similar sound, Fitz comes from completely separate roots. 

In Norman French, Fitz meant “son of.” One familiar example: the surname Fitzroy indicated the child was the illegitimate son of the king, from the French title roi. Henry VIII famously had a beloved son called Henry FitzRoy, acknowledged by all and given titles and privileges until his death at the age of 17. 

Names like Fitzgerald and Fitzpatrick caught on, too, in England and Ireland. The founder of pop/neosoul band Fitz and the Tantrums was born Michael Fitzpatrick. 

It’s never been especially popular as a given name, but 33 boys were named Fitz in 2025.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME FRITZ?

From the year 1880, when US popularity data is first reported, right through the 1960s, the baby name Fritz ranked in the US Top 1000. 

That number excludes anyone answering to Fritz as a nickname, but named Frederick instead.

As of 2025, just 47 boys were named Fritz. 

INTRIGUING RARITY

Overall, Fritz feels antique. It’s a name from another time, most at home singing in the Alps a century ago. Beyond that, it’s tough to pin down Fritz. It can read smart and sharp, a little bit of filmmaker Fritz Lang. Or maybe it’s more offbeat, a blend of that scandalous cartoon cat and current pop culture sensation Five Nights at Freddy’s. 

If you’re after something familiar, rare, and tough to categorize? Fritz might be it. 

What do you think of the baby name Fritz?

First published on April 12, 2011, this post was revised on May 16, 2016 and again on November 2, 2026.