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

Frame, 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 Frame surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frame in America

Frame is the 4027th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frame surname appeared 8,827 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Frame.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frame 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 Frame

The surname Frame has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'fram', meaning 'journey' or 'travel'. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who traveled frequently or who lived near a major road or pathway.

The earliest known recorded instance of the Frame surname dates back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a certain Roger Frame is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

Another early documented reference to the Frame surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, which list a Robert Frame as a taxpayer in that county. This suggests that the name had spread to various regions of England by that point.

The variant spelling 'Fram' is also found in historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Fram is listed. This spelling likely reflects the original Old English pronunciation of the word from which the surname is derived.

One notable early bearer of the Frame surname was John Frame, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several trade records from the time, indicating the family's involvement in commerce.

In the 16th century, the Frame surname appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. This is evidenced by records such as the Muster Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1539, which list several individuals with the surname.

A few other notable individuals with the Frame surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Frame (c. 1588-1668), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

2. Samuel Frame (1750-1828), an American politician and jurist who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as a judge in Pennsylvania.

3. James Frame (1792-1867), a Scottish-born Canadian Anglican priest and educator who played a significant role in the development of higher education in Ontario.

4. William Frame (1828-1899), an American civil engineer and surveyor who was involved in the construction of several railroads and the mapping of the western United States.

5. Janet Frame (1924-2004), a celebrated New Zealand author and poet who is widely regarded as one of the country's most significant writers of the 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frame

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

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 Frame 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 Frame 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 Frame was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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