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

Frizzell, 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 Frizzell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frizzell in America

Frizzell is the 5907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frizzell surname appeared 5,840 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 Frizzell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frizzell 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 Frizzell

The surname Frizzell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "fryse," which means "curly-haired" or "frizzled hair." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with curly or frizzy hair.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Frizzell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1199, where it appears as "Frisell." This document contains records of landowners and tax payments, indicating that the Frizzell family was likely of some social standing during that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Frisil" and "Frisyll," reflecting the variations in spelling common in the Middle Ages. One notable early bearer of the name was John Frisyll, who was recorded as a landowner in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273.

The surname Frizzell has also been associated with certain place names in England. For instance, there is a hamlet called Frizzell in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the name's development. Additionally, the name Frizell has been linked to the village of Frizington in Cumbria, suggesting possible connections between the surname and geographical locations.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Frizzell surname. One of the earliest was Sir John Frizzell (c. 1400-1480), a prominent English landowner and knight who served in the Wars of the Roses. Another was Richard Frizzell (1619-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, William Frizzell (1706-1784) was a Scottish-born merchant and philanthropist who established the Frizzell Trust, which provided financial support for poor families in Edinburgh. During the American Revolutionary War, Captain James Frizzell (1738-1820) served in the Continental Army and was present at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

One of the most renowned bearers of the Frizzell name was Sir Bedivere Frizzell (1844-1928), a British naval officer and explorer who played a significant role in the exploration of the Arctic regions. He was knighted for his contributions to geographical research and served as the President of the Royal Geographical Society from 1915 to 1917.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frizzell

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

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

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

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