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

Frierson, 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 Frierson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frierson in America

Frierson is the 5838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frierson surname appeared 5,923 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Frierson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frierson 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 Frierson

The surname Frierson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "frig" and "erthe," which together mean "free soil" or "free land." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a freeholder or a landowner.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Frierson can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. One such example is the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which mention a John Frierson in 1279. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273 include a reference to a William Frierson.

In the 16th century, the name Frierson appeared in the parish records of several English villages, including Frierson in Lincolnshire and Frierson Magna in Berkshire. These place names likely had an influence on the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Frierson throughout history include Sir John Frierson (1542-1618), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Frierson (1678-1744), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who founded the Frierson Charity School in London.

Other individuals of note include:

1. Elizabeth Frierson (1790-1872), a British author and poet known for her works exploring themes of nature and spirituality.
2. William Frierson (1815-1892), an American inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in the field of textile manufacturing.
3. Margaret Frierson (1867-1941), a Scottish suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reform.
4. Edward Frierson (1901-1978), an Australian artist and painter whose works are part of several major museum collections.
5. Michael Frierson (1942-2018), an American civil rights leader and advocate for equal education opportunities.

While the surname Frierson is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and origins can be traced back to medieval England and the concept of land ownership and freedom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frierson

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

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

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

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