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

Frew, 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 Frew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frew in America

Frew is the 15402nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frew surname appeared 1,903 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Frew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frew 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 Frew

The surname Frew originates from Scotland and has its roots in the Scottish Gaelic language. The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th century, derived from the Gaelic word "frioghan," which means "man" or "person." It is thought that the name was initially used to describe someone of a strong or manly character.

Frew is a locational surname, meaning it was originally associated with a particular place or region. In this case, it is linked to the lands of Frew, a small village located near the town of Kippen in the Stirlingshire region of central Scotland. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in charters and historical records from the 13th century, where it appeared in various spellings, such as "Frewe," "Freau," and "Frew."

One of the earliest documented references to the name Frew can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded pledges of allegiance to King Edward I of England. In this document, a person named "William de Frewe" is listed, indicating the presence of the Frew name in Scotland during that period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Frew. One such person was John Frew (1620-1688), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1675 until his death. Another prominent figure was Sir Peter Frew (1774-1842), a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1819 to 1822.

In the literary world, the name Frew is associated with the Scottish author and poet, James Frew (1808-1871), who was born in Lanarkshire and is known for his works celebrating rural life in Scotland. Additionally, William Frew (1828-1909), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman, made significant contributions to the development of Victoria, Australia, in the late 19th century.

The Frew surname has also been linked to notable figures in the field of science and medicine. For example, Dr. Thomas Frew (1850-1919) was a Scottish-born Australian physician and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the study of infectious diseases in Australia.

While the Frew name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants bearing this surname found in countries like England, Ireland, Australia, and North America. However, the historical origins and significance of the name remain firmly rooted in the Scottish Highlands and the legacy of the Gaelic language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frew

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

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

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

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