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

Frayne, 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 Frayne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frayne in America

Frayne is the 45740th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frayne surname appeared 467 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Frayne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frayne 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 Frayne

The surname Frayne is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "frene," meaning "stranger" or "foreigner." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had come from a distant place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Frayne can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dating back to 1273. This historical document lists a person named William Freyn, which likely represents an early spelling variation of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Frayne, Frayn, and Fraine, in various records across different counties in England, including Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. This indicates that the name had become more widespread during this period.

The Frayne surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Frayne in Somerset and Frayne Court in Gloucestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time, or they may have been named after individuals bearing the Frayne surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Frayne include:

1. Robert Frayne (c. 1340-1401), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the late 14th century.
2. Mary Frayne (1676-1754), a British writer and poet known for her religious works.
3. John Frayne (1806-1888), an Irish-born Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
4. Michael Frayne (1933-2022), an English playwright and novelist best known for his works like "Noises Off" and "Copenhagen."
5. Robert Frayne (b. 1944), a Canadian actor and director who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including "The X-Files" and "Watchmen."

These examples demonstrate the longevity and geographical spread of the Frayne surname, which has been present in various parts of the United Kingdom, as well as other English-speaking regions, for several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frayne

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

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

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

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