2000
#8,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,784
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Frisby
Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead of a man called Fritheburg" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,411 Americans carry the last name Frisby. That puts it at #8,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frisby 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Frisby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,704
Census rank
#8,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,847 bearers of the surname Frisby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisby, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frisby
The surname Frisby has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the place name Frisby, which is found in several counties across the country, including Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire. The name is thought to have its roots in the Old English words "frisc" and "by," which together mean "fresh settlement" or "fresh village."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Frisby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Frisebi" in the county of Lincolnshire. This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames and place names across England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show a Peter de Friseby, who held lands in Leicestershire in 1235. Another notable figure bearing this surname was John Frisby, a prominent clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Leicester in the late 14th century.
During the 16th century, the Frisby name gained prominence with the birth of John Frisby (1521-1570), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He played a significant role in the affairs of his local community and left a lasting legacy.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the parish registers of Lincolnshire, where a William Frisby was recorded as a landowner in the village of Frisby in 1612.
Moving into the 18th century, one notable figure was James Frisby (1731-1802), an English artist and engraver known for his intricate works depicting architectural subjects and landscapes.
The 19th century saw the birth of Sir Edgar Frisby (1869-1941), a highly decorated British Army officer who served in the Boer War and World War I, earning numerous accolades for his bravery and leadership.
Throughout its history, the surname Frisby has been associated with various locations across England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire. While the spelling has remained relatively consistent over time, variations such as Frysbie and Friseby have also been documented in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frisby
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisby, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Frisby 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 Frisby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.8% · 2,609
- Black or African American18.0% · 693
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 266
- Two or more races5.8% · 223
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frisby
Frisby 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
#8,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,964
+180 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 277 places
2020
#8,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,847
-117 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 98 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,073 | 3,784 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,350 | 3,964 | 1.34 | +180 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 277 places |
| 2020 | #8,252 | 3,847 | 1.29 | -117 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 98 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 Frisby 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 | #8,350 | #8,252 | 1.2% |
| Count | 3,964 | 3,847 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.29 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frisby bearers went from 3,964 to 3,847 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 98 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,350 to #8,252.
FAQ
Frisby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frisby?
Name Census estimates that about 4,411 living Americans carry the surname Frisby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,704 residents.
How common is Frisby?
Frisby ranks #8,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,847 people with the surname Frisby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,411), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Frisby.
Has Frisby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frisby went from 3,964 recorded bearers to 3,847. That is a decrease of 117 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,350 to #8,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Frisby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisby, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Frisby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (2,609 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frisby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.8%), Black (18.0%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Frisby (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 Frisby mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead of a man called Fritheburg" in Old English. 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 Frisby (1.29 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 common is the surname Frisby?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Frisby on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.