Find out how popular the last name Fraley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fraley.

Fraley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fraley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fraley in America

Fraley is the 3020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fraley surname appeared 11,876 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Fraley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fraley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Fraley

The surname Fraley originates from the French region of Normandy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "fraile," meaning "frail" or "fragile." This could suggest that the name was initially a nickname given to someone with a slender or delicate physique.

One of the earliest known records of the name Fraley can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Radulfus Fraile, whose name was likely an early spelling variation of Fraley.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various English records, often associated with places like Fraleybury and Frailington, which were likely named after early bearers of the surname. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with the name include William Fraley (born c. 1210) and Richard de Fraley (born c. 1240), both from Oxfordshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Fraley name began to spread across Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was John Fraley (1564-1638), an English merchant and explorer who helped establish trade routes between England and the West Indies.

In the American colonies, the Fraley surname first appeared in the late 17th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Thomas Fraley (c. 1670-1745), who settled in Virginia and became a prosperous landowner. Another notable figure was Benjamin Fraley (1719-1787), a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

As the centuries passed, the Fraley name continued to spread across the United States and other parts of the world. Some other notable individuals with this surname include:

1. William Fraley (1810-1898), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania.
2. Michael Fraley (1884-1966), a Canadian ice hockey player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
3. Dorothy Fraley (1910-1989), an American science fiction author known for her contributions to the genre in the mid-20th century.
4. Robert Fraley (born 1953), an American biotechnologist and former executive at Monsanto, known for his work in developing genetically modified crops.
5. Vanessa Fraley (born 1982), a Canadian actress and model best known for her roles in television series and films.

While the Fraley surname may have originated as a nickname for someone with a delicate stature, its bearers have left their mark across various fields, from politics and sports to literature and science, throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fraley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fraley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fraley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fraley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fraley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fraley, please contact us.

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