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

Frazier, 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 Frazier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frazier in America

Frazier is the 335th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frazier surname appeared 92,152 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 31 people would have the surname Frazier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frazier 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 Frazier

The surname Frazier originated in Scotland and derives from the old French name Freselle or Fraiselle, which means "strawberry." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a strawberry patch or cultivated strawberries. The name can also be linked to the Gaelic word fraigh, meaning "heathery place."

The earliest known record of the Frazier surname dates back to the 12th century in the Scottish Borders region. It appeared in various spellings, such as Fraser, Frazer, and Frayser, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Richard Fraser" from the county of Peebles.

In the 14th century, the powerful Fraser clan played a significant role in Scottish history. Sir Simon Fraser, a patriot and warrior, fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was captured and executed in 1306.

Another notable figure was Alexander Fraser, a Scottish theologian and philosopher born in 1537. He served as the principal of the University of Glasgow and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation.

During the 17th century, many Fraziers immigrated to the American colonies, particularly to Virginia and the Carolinas. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Frazier, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 from Scotland.

In the 18th century, Simon Fraser, a Scottish explorer and fur trader, was instrumental in charting the western regions of Canada. He established the first European settlement on the Pacific coast and is known for his explorations of the Fraser River, which bears his name.

Another notable figure was Joseph Frazier, a Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania, who fought in several battles, including the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.

Throughout history, the Frazier surname has been associated with places like Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and Fraser's Hill in Malaysia, named after a British explorer and tin prospector, Louis James Fraser.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frazier

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

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

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

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