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

Fraser, 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 Fraser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fraser in America

Fraser is the 1358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fraser surname appeared 25,961 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Fraser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fraser 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 Fraser

The surname Fraser is of Scottish origin, and is derived from the French word "frais", meaning fresh or strawberry. It is believed to have been introduced to Scotland during the Norman conquest in the 11th century.

The name is thought to have originated in the district of Tweeddale in the Scottish Borders, where the family held lands near the village of Fraser. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Fresseau" in 1153.

One of the earliest written references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Several Frasers are listed, including Simon Fraser, who was Lord of Tweeddale and Neidpath.

In the 14th century, Sir Simon Fraser (c.1257-1330) was a Scottish warrior who fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was captured and executed by the English in 1306.

Another notable Fraser was Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth (1537-1623), who was Lord Chamberlain of Scotland and a prominent member of the Scottish nobility during the reign of King James VI.

In the 18th century, Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat (1667-1747), was a Scottish Jacobite who fought in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He was later captured and executed for treason against the British crown.

Other notable Frasers include James Baillie Fraser (1783-1856), a Scottish traveler and author who wrote extensively about his travels in Asia, and Brendan Fraser (born 1968), the Canadian-American actor best known for his roles in films such as The Mummy and George of the Jungle.

The surname Fraser has been prominent in Scotland for centuries, and has been borne by many influential figures in Scottish history, from warriors and nobles to writers and actors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fraser

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

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

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

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