Frye Surname

11,158th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 50,354 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Montserrat

Frye Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the fry,' i.e. the free. 'The child that was so fry. Rembrun.' (Halliwell). The surname Fry, therefore, has no doubt a double origin, in some cases meaning' free' in a civil sense (v. Freeman), in others free, that is, frank, in disposition.

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Frye Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States47,7401:7,592906
Germany1,6551:48,6446,361
Canada3211:114,78412,212
England1871:297,95822,741
South Africa961:564,35143,987
Australia491:550,93340,757
Scotland431:124,5077,876
New Zealand321:141,51016,640
Dominican Republic311:336,54611,471
Singapore171:323,98313,856
Brazil161:13,379,646256,605
France141:4,744,480251,814
Colombia131:3,674,92915,922
Panama121:326,0227,351
Thailand121:5,886,529390,733
Philippines121:8,436,519202,133
Montserrat91:550100
Qatar91:262,00030,726
Switzerland91:912,54658,198
Mexico81:15,515,77647,773
Spain71:6,678,86292,666
South Korea61:8,540,0431,433
Turkey41:19,455,356155,681
Northern Ireland41:461,25916,615
Ghana41:6,755,17315,406
China31:455,773,85521,925
Sweden31:3,282,252190,759
Russia31:48,041,019639,186
Italy31:20,385,563143,117
Japan31:42,614,76459,022
Netherlands31:5,629,059132,535
Belgium21:5,748,322130,559
Namibia11:2,409,40119,676
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Curaçao11:157,2471,313
Austria11:8,515,435118,036
Wales11:3,094,53244,023
Vietnam11:92,646,0548,382
Venezuela11:30,204,07785,459
United Arab Emirates11:9,162,273135,437
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
Czechia11:10,633,469206,023
Chile11:17,616,47493,597
Finland11:5,496,70284,025
Norway11:5,142,286129,201
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Cayman Islands11:63,8932,384
Greece11:11,079,790145,225
Hong Kong11:7,335,48316,643
Saudi Arabia11:30,855,81763,028
Marshall Islands11:51,8212,326
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
India11:767,065,3821,851,717
Puerto Rico11:3,550,1399,109
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Peru11:31,784,12364,452
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland51:885,97323,404
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England1181:206,57116,235
Scotland11:3,743,21632,299
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States2,8061:17,8972,277

The alternate forms: Fryé (1) are calculated separately.

Frye (106) may also be a first name.

Frye Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the fry,' i.e. the free. 'The child that was so fry. Rembrun.' (Halliwell). The surname Fry, therefore, has no doubt a double origin, in some cases meaning' free' in a civil sense (v. Freeman), in others free, that is, frank, in disposition. Elizabeth Fry, 'the female Howard, 'asshe was called, possessed the right name.

Thomas le Frye, Wiltshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Geoffrey le Frye, Wiltshire, ibid.

Thomas le Frie, Close Rolls, 14 Edward I.

Roger le Frye, Wiltshire, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

John le Frye, Southamptonshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

William le Frye, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

1595. Baptised — Dorothie, d. of Robert Frye: St. James, Clerkenwell.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

= Free, q.v. [M.E, fry(e, fre, Old English fri(g, freó, free, &c.] Roger le Frye.—Plac. de Quo Warr.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) The free man, i.e., free of obligations to the lord of the manor.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Old English for free; in the H.R. Le Frye and Le Frie; the same as Free and Freeman. Also with regard to disposition-free, noble.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

(Cornish British.) Local. A hill, a town or house on the most prominent part of a hill or eminence. German, Frei, free, Dutch, Vry, or Fry, free.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

1. From Humphry. 2. Perhaps sometimes from Cor­nish fry, a promontory; literally a nose.

Ludus Patronymicus (1868) by Richard Stephen Charnock

Although the Frys have their great home in Wiltshire, they are numerous in Somersetshire.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Of the old Wilts families of yeomen, few can boast a greater antiquity, and few have shown more love of their county by remaining in it, than those bearing the name of Fry. Numerous as they now are, especially around Chippenham, we find that as far back as in the reigns of Henry III. and Edward I., the Fryes or Fries found in Wiltshire their main abode (H. R.). The Frys of Ashgrove, in the parish of Donhead St. Mary, appear to be one of the parent stocks; they gave the burial ground for Quakers in that parish, which has been used for this purpose ever since the Society of Friends was first established in England; to this stock belonged the husband of Mrs. Fry, the philanthropist (H.).

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

User-submitted Reference

This surname means 'someone who resides in Friesland'.

Variant of North German: Frey, Frede.

Variant of Dutch: Fries.

- jsreedy32

Frye Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Frye Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Frye is more commonly found in The United States than any other country/territory. It may also be rendered in the variant forms: Fryé. For other possible spellings of this last name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Frye? popularity and diffusion

It is the 11,158th most widespread surname internationally. It is borne by approximately 1 in 144,726 people. Frye is predominantly found in The Americas, where 96 percent of Frye live; 95 percent live in North America and 95 percent live in Anglo-North America. It is also the 915,176th most prevalent first name world-wide It is held by 106 people.

This last name is most frequent in The United States, where it is borne by 47,740 people, or 1 in 7,592. In The United States Frye is most prevalent in: North Carolina, where 8 percent live, Virginia, where 6 percent live and California, where 6 percent live. Apart from The United States this last name exists in 55 countries. It is also found in Germany, where 3 percent live and Canada, where 1 percent live.

Frye Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The frequency of Frye has changed through the years. In The United States the share of the population with the surname grew 1,701 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 158 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Scotland it grew 4,300 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Frye Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those bearing the last name is predominantly Anglican (80%) in Ireland.

In The United States those bearing the Frye last name are 18.44% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 65.21% registered with the party.

The amount Frye earn in different countries varies markedly. In South Africa they earn 34.58% more than the national average, earning R 319,812 per year; in Colombia they earn 10.87% more than the national average, earning $25,171,300 COP per year; in United States they earn 4.54% less than the national average, earning $41,190 USD per year and in Canada they earn 4.2% more than the national average, earning $51,772 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Fryé921/
Fryer8925,466/
Freye891,612/
Fraye89162/
Froye89157/
Fryje8934/
Friye8919/
Fryes8913/
Fhrye894/
Fryet893/
Fryea891/
Fryed891/
Fryee891/
Fryie891/
Fryez891/
Frrye890/
Fryett80772/
Frayeh8061/
Freyee8033/
Freyes8027/
Fraaye8021/
Frayje8014/
Fryjeh8010/
Fryher808/
Frayez808/
Froyez807/
Frayes802/
Friyed802/
Frayhe801/
Frayed801/
Friyes801/
Frayoe801/
Friyeh801/
Froyes801/
D'Frye801/
Frey75124,709/
Frei7539,331/
Free7534,397/
Fray7510,018/
Frej755,397/
Frie752,108/
Frea75646/
Froy75643/
Freu75455/
Froe7573/
Fruy7559/
Frue7557/
Frae7510/
Frée758/
Frge751/
Frãy751/
Frjy751/
Freyjes734/
Freiyer734/
Frayier732/
Frayyeh732/
Fraiyer731/
Frooyeh731/
Fraiyed731/
Fries6734,685/
Fried6717,226/
Frieß673,841/
Freij673,439/
Frier673,312/
Freih672,717/
Freas671,867/
Freis671,740/
Fraya671,060/
Freid671,009/
Freud67969/
Freeh67964/
Fread67792/
Frehe67724/
Frejd67623/
Freus67473/
Freie67461/
Friez67433/
Frays67382/
Froyd67367/
Frayo67328/
Frejo67315/
Fryha67305/
Freyd67279/
Freay67259/
Freys67256/
Fruyt67187/
Freja67139/
Freue67134/
Freua67122/
Friet67106/
Færge67104/
Freit6798/
Freoa6777/
Freiß6777/
Frayt6768/
Fryia6764/
Frehi6760/
Freiz6750/
Frioe6747/
Fraay6746/
Freia6745/
Freyt6744/
Vreye6744/
Freyz6737/
Friey6734/
Freyh6731/
Friya6729/
Frøge6727/
Fraje6725/
Frayd6722/
Freha6718/
Frije6717/
Frijy6716/
Frowe6715/
Freah6715/
Frayi6714/
Fruyo6714/
Froyo6713/
Friay6712/
Frejt6711/
Freuz6710/
Froya679/
Friys678/
Freya678/
Friee677/
Freuh677/
Freap677/
Froys676/
Freje675/
Freaj675/
Frehy674/
Freey674/
Freji674/
Fraiy674/
Frehé674/
Friyo674/
Freat673/
Friej673/
Fraue673/
Friyi673/
Fruhy673/
Frihy672/
Friei672/
Freut672/
Frões672/
Frayé672/
Fryji672/
Frejs672/
Frray672/
Frrie672/
Frahy671/
Freea671/
Freei671/
Freii671/
Freip671/
Frhey671/
Friea671/
Fraie671/
Froey671/
Frree671/
Fruje671/
Fryaj671/
Freio671/
Freyo671/
Froue671/
Freiy671/
Freyi671/
Frejó671/
Froje671/
Freuś671/
Frejy671/
Frejz671/
Freië671/
Freyè671/
Freňa671/
Frayś671/
Fruie671/
Fruya671/
Freej671/
Freaa671/
Frihe671/
Freee671/
Frohy671/
Fryaa671/
Hfrie671/
Hfryj671/
Frayz670/
Pfree670/
Frayy670/
Freux670/
Freae670/
Freyu670/

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Frye Reference & Research

Frey-Fry-Frye-Vry DNA Website - A web page dedicated to the genetic research of those who bear the surname and its variants.

Frey-Fry-Frye-Vry FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Frye
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis