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

Froude, 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 Froude surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Froude in America

Froude is the 127494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Froude surname appeared 134 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 Froude.

We can also compare 2010 data for Froude 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 Froude

The surname Froude is believed to have originated in England, likely in the South West region, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "frod" or "frode," meaning wise or prudent, suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was considered wise or learned.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Froude can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Frode" in this historical document, indicating its presence in England during the Norman period.

In the 13th century, the name Froude is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where it is spelled as "Frude." This variation in spelling was common during this time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Froude was John Froude, who was born in Dorset, England, in the late 15th century. He was a member of the gentry and held land in the region.

Another notable figure with this surname was James Anthony Froude (1818-1894), a renowned English historian, novelist, and biographer. He is best known for his work "The History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada," a multi-volume work that sparked controversy for its portrayal of historical figures.

In the 16th century, the surname Froude was associated with the village of Froud in Somerset, England. This place name is likely derived from the same Old English root as the surname, further solidifying its connection to the region.

Richard Hurrell Froude (1803-1836) was an English churchman and one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, a significant religious revival in the Church of England during the 19th century. He was also a close friend and influential figure in the life of John Henry Newman, another prominent figure in the Oxford Movement.

William Froude (1810-1879) was an English engineer and naval architect who made significant contributions to the study of ship resistance and propulsion. He conducted pioneering experiments in the field of hydrodynamics and developed the Froude number, a dimensionless value used in naval architecture and hydraulics.

Robert Edmund Froude (1846-1924) was the son of William Froude and followed in his father's footsteps as an engineer and naval architect. He continued his father's work on ship resistance and propulsion, developing scale model testing methods that are still used in modern shipbuilding.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Froude

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

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

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

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