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

Frier, 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 Frier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frier in America

Frier is the 19075th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frier surname appeared 1,427 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 Frier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frier 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 Frier

The surname FRIER has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "frire," which means "to fry." This suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a fryer or a cook.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname FRIER can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where a certain Richard le Fryer is mentioned. This document provides evidence that the name was already in use during the 12th century.

The name FRIER is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England. This suggests that by the 13th century, the name had become more widespread and was associated with various areas across the country.

In the 14th century, the surname FRIER appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a John le Fryer is recorded. This historical document sheds light on the life of an individual bearing the name during that time period.

One notable individual with the surname FRIER was Robert Frier (1513-1589), an English Protestant reformer and scholar who was a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He played a significant role in the religious and academic spheres of his time.

Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Frier (1642-1711), an English judge and Baron of the Exchequer. He served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1700 until his death in 1711.

In the 18th century, John Frier (1717-1795) was a Scottish minister and author. He is known for his works on theology and his contributions to the Church of Scotland.

During the 19th century, James Frier (1824-1892) was a notable Scottish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Glasgow, including the Glasgow City Chambers and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The surname FRIER has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Frier's Place in Kent and Frier's Gate in Yorkshire. These place names may have been derived from individuals bearing the surname or may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frier

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!