2000
#2,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.58
Uncommon Last name
Frias
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating someone from a cold place or from one of several places named Frías.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,549 Americans carry the last name Frias. That puts it at #2,068 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,533 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frias surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,533
Census rank
#2,068
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,048 bearers of the surname Frias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2068th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frias
The surname Frias is of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the Old Portuguese word "fria" meaning "cold" or "chilly." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived in a particularly cold or exposed region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Frias can be found in the 12th century, when it appeared in documents from the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. The name was also present in medieval records from Portugal, where it was sometimes spelled "Frias" or "Frías."
In Spain, the name Frias is closely associated with the town of Frías, located in the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León. This town, which dates back to the 9th century, was once a significant stronghold during the Reconquista period, and it is possible that the surname derived from this place name.
One notable figure in history with the surname Frias was Juan Rodríguez de Frias (c. 1350-1409), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Reconquista. He was a member of the Order of Santiago and served as the alcalde (governor) of Jerez de la Frontera.
Another prominent individual was Pedro de Frias (c. 1490-1567), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He was one of the few survivors of the Battle of Puna and later served as a lieutenant under Pizarro.
In Portugal, the surname Frias gained prominence through figures such as Fernão de Frias (c. 1530-1596), a Portuguese poet and playwright who was a member of the literary circle known as the "School of Évora." His works, which included comedies and religious plays, were influential during the Renaissance period.
Another notable Portuguese figure was Luís de Frias (c. 1625-1700), a Jesuit priest and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the study of infinitesimals. He taught at the University of Coimbra and was a contemporary of the renowned mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
In the 18th century, Francisco de Frias (c. 1720-1790) was a Spanish military engineer and architect who worked on various fortifications and public works projects throughout Spain and its colonies. He was particularly known for his work on the fortifications of Havana, Cuba, and the city's iconic El Morro Castle.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frias
Among Census respondents with the surname Frias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Frias bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Frias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.2% · 14,863
- White7.5% · 1,284
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 626
- Two or more races0.7% · 123
- Black or African American0.6% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frias
Frias appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,911
+4,554 bearers (+36.9%)
Per 100,000 5.73
Rank movement Up 540 places
2020
#2,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,048
+137 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 5.70
Rank movement Up 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,684 | 12,357 | 4.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,144 | 16,911 | 5.73 | +4,554 bearers (+36.9%) | Up 540 places |
| 2020 | #2,068 | 17,048 | 5.70 | +137 bearers (+0.8%) | Up 76 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Frias surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,144 | #2,068 | 3.5% |
| Count | 16,911 | 17,048 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.73 | 5.70 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frias bearers went from 16,911 to 17,048 (+0.8% change). The surname moved up 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,144 to #2,068.
FAQ
Frias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frias?
Name Census estimates that about 19,549 living Americans carry the surname Frias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,533 residents.
How common is Frias?
Frias ranks #2,068 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,048 people with the surname Frias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,549), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Frias.
Has Frias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frias went from 16,911 recorded bearers to 17,048. That is an increase of 137 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,144 to #2,068.
What does the Census say about the background of Frias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Frias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (14,863 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.2%), White (7.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Frias (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Frias mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating someone from a cold place or from one of several places named Frías. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Frias (5.70 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Frias?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Frias on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.