2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Frisse
A surname derived from an Old French word meaning "fresh" or "vigorous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Frisse. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frisse 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Frisse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisse, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frisse
The surname FRISSE originates from France and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the French word "frisse," which means "curly" or "frizzy," likely referring to someone with curly hair or a distinctive hairstyle.
One of the earliest records of the name FRISSE can be found in the Armorial Général, a collection of coats of arms compiled in the late 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV. This suggests that the name was already well-established in France by that time.
In the 13th century, a village called Frisse-sur-Loire existed in the Loire Valley region of France. It is possible that the surname FRISSE may have originated from this place name, though the connection is not definitively confirmed.
The name FRISSE appeared in various historical documents throughout the centuries, including parish records and tax rolls. One notable bearer of the name was Jacques FRISSE, a French philosopher and theologian born in 1667 in Mâcon, Burgundy. He was known for his writings on religious skepticism and the nature of faith.
Another prominent figure with the surname FRISSE was Jean-Baptiste FRISSE, a French painter who lived from 1734 to 1804. He was a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture and is known for his portraits and historical paintings.
In the 18th century, a family named FRISSE was recorded as living in the village of Vielle-Aure, located in the Hautes-Pyrénées region of southwestern France. One member of this family, Pierre FRISSE (1728-1798), was a respected farmer and landowner in the area.
During the French Revolution, a soldier named François FRISSE (1762-1837) fought in the Revolutionary Wars and later served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose to the rank of colonel and was awarded the Legion of Honor for his military service.
Another notable bearer of the FRISSE surname was Marie-Antoinette FRISSE (1809-1879), a French novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name Marie-Antoinette Deshouillères. Her works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
While the surname FRISSE has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insight into the origins and early bearers of this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frisse
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisse, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frisse 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 Frisse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frisse
Frisse appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-13 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 9,481 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 Frisse 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 | #146,201 | #155,682 | -6.5% |
| Count | 113 | 100 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frisse bearers went from 113 to 100 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 9,481 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #155,682.
FAQ
Frisse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frisse?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Frisse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Frisse?
Frisse ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Frisse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Frisse.
Has Frisse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frisse went from 113 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Frisse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frisse, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Frisse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frisse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Frisse (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 Frisse mean?
A surname derived from an Old French word meaning "fresh" or "vigorous." 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 Frisse (0.03 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 share the surname Frisse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.