2000
#5,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,861
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.17
Rare Last name
Frizzell
Derived from a French place name meaning "curly-haired" or "frizzled," likely referring to a person with curly hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,134 Americans carry the last name Frizzell. That puts it at #6,141 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frizzell 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 Frizzell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 55,878
Census rank
#6,141
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,349 bearers of the surname Frizzell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6141st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frizzell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frizzell
Among Census respondents with the surname Frizzell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Frizzell 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 Frizzell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 4,736
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 203
- Two or more races3.8% · 202
- Black or African American2.7% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frizzell
Frizzell 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
#5,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,840
-21 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 449 places
2020
#6,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,349
-491 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,458 | 5,861 | 2.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,907 | 5,840 | 1.98 | -21 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 449 places |
| 2020 | #6,141 | 5,349 | 1.79 | -491 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 234 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 Frizzell 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 | #5,907 | #6,141 | -4.0% |
| Count | 5,840 | 5,349 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.98 | 1.79 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frizzell bearers went from 5,840 to 5,349 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,907 to #6,141.
FAQ
Frizzell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frizzell?
Name Census estimates that about 6,134 living Americans carry the surname Frizzell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,878 residents.
How common is Frizzell?
Frizzell ranks #6,141 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,349 people with the surname Frizzell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Frizzell.
Has Frizzell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frizzell went from 5,840 recorded bearers to 5,349. That is a decrease of 491 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,907 to #6,141.
What does the Census say about the background of Frizzell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frizzell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Frizzell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frizzell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Frizzell (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 Frizzell mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "curly-haired" or "frizzled," likely referring to a person with curly hair. 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 Frizzell (1.79 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 Frizzell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.