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

Frazer, 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 Frazer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frazer in America

Frazer is the 4585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frazer surname appeared 7,743 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 Frazer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frazer 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 Frazer

The surname Frazer originated in Scotland and is derived from the old French word "frasier" meaning "strawberry plant". It is believed that this name was initially given as a nickname to someone who lived near a strawberry patch or who cultivated strawberries.

The name first appeared in written records in the 12th century, with references to individuals bearing the name in the Scottish Lowlands. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Frasere, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

During the Middle Ages, the name was also found in various spellings such as Frasour, Fraysser, and Frizeaux, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The name is closely associated with the Scottish clan Fraser, which traces its roots to the Normandy region of France and the arrival of a Norman knight named Pierre Fraser in Scotland in the 12th century.

Notable historical figures with the surname Frazer include Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (1667-1747), a Scottish nobleman who played a prominent role in the Jacobite risings of the 18th century. Another significant individual was James Frazer (1854-1941), a Scottish social anthropologist and author of the influential work "The Golden Bough".

In the United States, the name is also associated with Charles Frazer (1788-1849), a Philadelphia-based chemist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the study of minerals and the development of analytical techniques. John Frazer (1812-1872), an American naval officer, gained recognition for his service during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.

The surname Frazer has also been linked to various place names, such as Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which was named after the Fraser family who once held lands in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frazer

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

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

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

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