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

Frost, 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 Frost surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Frost in America

Frost is the 822nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Frost surname appeared 42,015 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Frost.

We can also compare 2010 data for Frost 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 Frost

The surname FROST has its origins in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It dates back to the late 12th century and is derived from the Old English word "frost," meaning the frozen water vapor that forms ice crystals. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who lived in a particularly cold or frosty area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the FROST surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where it is listed as "Gaufridus Frost." The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also mention a "Robert Frost" from Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the name had already spread to other parts of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the FROST surname appears in various records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, which lists a "Johannes Frost" from Howden. The name is also mentioned in the Calendars of Wills from London, with a "John Frost" being recorded in 1392.

One notable historical figure with the FROST surname was Sir John Frost (c. 1470-1537), who was a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1524.

Another prominent individual was the 17th-century English poet, Robert Frost (1594-1669), who was born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. He is known for his collection of religious poems titled "Emblemes of Divine and Moral Discourses," published in 1635.

In the 18th century, the FROST surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as William Frost (1737-1805), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of English scenery.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was John Frost (1784-1877), a Welsh leader of the Chartist movement, who led the Newport Rising in 1839 in an attempt to gain greater political rights for working-class people.

Finally, the 20th century saw the rise of the renowned American poet, Robert Lee Frost (1874-1963), who was born in San Francisco but spent most of his life in New England. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in American literature and is famous for works such as "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Frost

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

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

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

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