2000
#15,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,763
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Frisbee
A surname likely describing someone who lived near or originated from a town with a similar name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,030 Americans carry the last name Frisbee. That puts it at #15,844 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,845 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frisbee 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
2.0K
1 in 168,845
Census rank
#15,844
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,770 bearers of the surname Frisbee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15844th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frisbee
The surname Frisbee originates from England, first appearing in records during the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French term "frisé," meaning "curly" or "frizzy," likely referring to a person with curly hair or a distinctive hairstyle.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Hertfordshire Assize Rolls of 1285, where a William le Frisee is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the French influence on the surname's origin.
In the 14th century, the name was recorded in various forms, such as Friseby, Friseby, and Frissebi, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
The surname Frisbee is closely linked to several place names across England, particularly in counties like Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire. For instance, the village of Friseby in Lincolnshire is believed to have derived its name from the same root as the surname, potentially indicating a connection between the name and specific locations.
One notable individual bearing the Frisbee surname was John Frisbee, born around 1480 in Nottinghamshire. He served as a yeoman during the reign of King Henry VIII and is mentioned in records related to the dissolution of monasteries in the 16th century.
Another historical figure with the surname was Elizabeth Frisbee, born in 1620 in Suffolk. She emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century and is recorded as one of the early settlers in the town of Ipswich.
In the 18th century, a certain William Frisbee, born in 1712 in Yorkshire, gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the local gentry and are now considered valuable antiques.
The surname Frisbee also has connections to the world of literature. Mary Frisbee, born in 1796 in Lancashire, was a renowned poet and author whose works explored themes of nature and the rural English countryside.
Edward Frisbee, born in 1843 in Gloucestershire, was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in London during the Victorian era, including the iconic St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
Throughout its history, the Frisbee surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name across different regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frisbee
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Frisbee 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 Frisbee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 1,584
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 76
- Two or more races3.6% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 30
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frisbee
Frisbee 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
#15,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,865
+102 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 359 places
2020
#15,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,770
-95 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 186 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,299 | 1,763 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,658 | 1,865 | 0.63 | +102 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 359 places |
| 2020 | #15,844 | 1,770 | 0.59 | -95 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 186 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 Frisbee 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 | #15,658 | #15,844 | -1.2% |
| Count | 1,865 | 1,770 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.59 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frisbee bearers went from 1,865 to 1,770 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 186 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,658 to #15,844.
FAQ
Frisbee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frisbee?
Name Census estimates that about 2,030 living Americans carry the surname Frisbee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,845 residents.
How common is Frisbee?
Frisbee ranks #15,844 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,770 people with the surname Frisbee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,030), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Frisbee.
Has Frisbee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frisbee went from 1,865 recorded bearers to 1,770. That is a decrease of 95 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,658 to #15,844.
What does the Census say about the background of Frisbee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisbee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Frisbee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (1,584 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frisbee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Frisbee (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 Frisbee mean?
A surname likely describing someone who lived near or originated from a town with a similar name. 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 Frisbee (0.59 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 surname Frisbee?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.