2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Froster
A surname referring to someone who lived by a forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Froster. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Froster 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Froster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Froster, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.2%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Froster
The surname "FROSTER" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old English word "frost," which means cold, frozen, or chilled. The name was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived in a particularly cold or frosty region or who had a cool and aloof demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John Froster. These rolls were tax records that listed individuals who were required to contribute to the King's subsidies, or taxes. The presence of the name in these records suggests that the Froster family had already established themselves in the region by the early 14th century.
In the 15th century, the surname appears in various court records and legal documents, such as the Plea Rolls of Warwickshire from 1437, which reference a Thomas Froster. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and activities of individuals bearing the Froster surname during this time period.
One notable figure with the surname Froster was Sir John Froster, a prominent English landowner and politician who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in 1485 and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the House of Lancaster.
Another individual of historical significance was William Froster, born in 1612, who was a renowned Puritan minister and author. He wrote several influential religious texts, including "The Christian's Guide to Eternal Life" and "A Treatise on the Doctrine of Predestination."
In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and birth, marriage, and death registers across England. One notable entry is the baptism of Elizabeth Froster in the parish of St. Mary's in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1658.
During the 18th century, the Froster surname gained prominence in the city of Bristol, where several members of the family were involved in the thriving maritime trade. One such individual was Captain James Froster, born in 1735, who commanded merchant ships sailing to the West Indies and the Americas.
By the 19th century, the Froster surname had spread across various parts of the United Kingdom, with pockets of concentration in areas such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this period was Sir Robert Froster, born in 1812, who was a successful businessman and philanthropist in the city of Manchester.
Throughout its history, the surname "FROSTER" has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and politicians to ministers and merchants. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become an established surname with a rich historical lineage spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Froster
Among Census respondents with the surname Froster, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.2%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Froster 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 Froster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.2% · 54
- Black or African American40.2% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Froster
Froster 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-7 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,924 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+11 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 17,924 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 11,758 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 Froster 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 | #159,712 | #147,954 | 7.4% |
| Count | 101 | 112 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Froster bearers went from 101 to 112 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 11,758 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Froster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Froster?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Froster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Froster?
Froster ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Froster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Froster.
Has Froster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Froster went from 101 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 11 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Froster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Froster, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.2%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Froster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.2% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Froster appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.2%), Black (40.2%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Froster (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 Froster mean?
A surname referring to someone who lived by a forest. 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 Froster (0.04 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 last name Froster?
You can see how many people are called Froster on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.