Find out how popular the last name Frome is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Frome.
A surname derived from the town name Frome, located in Somerset, England.
Frome, 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 Frome surname is from the 2010 census data.
Frome is the 57781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Frome surname appeared 352 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Frome.
We can also compare 2010 data for Frome 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 57781 | 51233 | 12.01% |
| Count | 352 | 382 | -8.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.14 | -15.38% |
The surname Frome is of English origin, deriving from the town of Frome in Somerset, England. The name is thought to have originated in the late Anglo-Saxon period, around the 9th or 10th century, when surnames began to emerge as a way of identifying individuals beyond just their given names.
The town of Frome itself takes its name from the River Frome, which flows through the area. The river's name is believed to come from the Celtic word "frâ," meaning "fair" or "fine." This suggests that the surname Frome may have originally referred to someone who lived near or associated with the River Frome.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Frome appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Ailric de Froma, indicating that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Frome continued to be associated with the town and surrounding areas of Somerset. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Walter de Froma served as the Abbot of Glastonbury, one of the wealthiest and most influential monasteries in England at the time.
During the Tudor period, a family named Frome rose to prominence in the city of Bristol. Robert Frome, born around 1460, was a successful merchant and served as Mayor of Bristol in 1507. His son, John Frome, born in 1495, followed in his footsteps and also held the position of Mayor of Bristol in 1542.
In the 17th century, a clergyman named Robert Frome made significant contributions to the Church of England. Born in 1624, he served as the Archdeacon of Bath from 1677 until his death in 1697. He was known for his writings on theology and his efforts to promote education in the region.
Another notable individual with the surname Frome was Samuel Frome, born in 1742 in Somerset. He was a prominent lawyer and served as the Recorder of Bristol, a judicial position responsible for overseeing the city's legal proceedings.
Throughout its history, the surname Frome has also been spelled in various ways, including Frowme, Froom, and Frohme, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common in earlier periods. However, the core spelling of Frome has remained consistent and continues to be associated with the town and region in Somerset, England.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Frome.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Frome was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 96.88% | 341 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 1.42% | 5 |
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 Frome has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.88% | 95.29% | 1.65% |
| Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | 1.31% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 1.57% | -10.03% |
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 Frome was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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