2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Frowner
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with a habitual frown or scowling expression.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Frowner. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frowner 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Frowner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frowner, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frowner
The surname FROWNER has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "frounen," which means "to frown" or "to scowl." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a particularly stern or severe expression.
The earliest known records of the FROWNER name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Frounere" and "Frownere," indicating its evolution over time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the FROWNER surname was Sir William Frowner, a knight who fought in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III in 1264. His descendants continued to hold lands in Gloucestershire until the 15th century.
During the 16th century, the FROWNER name was prominently associated with the village of Frowninghill in Gloucestershire. It is believed that the village's name may have been derived from the surname, or vice versa, as the two were closely linked in historical records.
One of the most famous individuals with the FROWNER surname was John Frowner (1554-1612), an English politician and member of Parliament from Gloucestershire. He was known for his active role in the parliamentary debates during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Thomas Frowner (1638-1704), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire. He was instrumental in the development of trade routes between England and the American colonies, and his legacy can be traced through various business records and land deeds from that era.
In the 18th century, the FROWNER name gained prominence with the birth of Sir Edward Frowner (1722-1798), a highly respected judge and legal scholar. He served as a judge in the Court of King's Bench and was known for his fair and impartial rulings.
As the centuries progressed, the FROWNER surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with families establishing themselves in counties such as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Hampshire. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its historical roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the descriptive nature of its origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frowner
Among Census respondents with the surname Frowner, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Frowner 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 Frowner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.7% · 104
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frowner
Frowner 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+23 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 10,381 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-27 bearers (-19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +23 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 10,381 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-19.6%) | Down 24,117 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 Frowner 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 | #124,548 | #148,665 | -19.4% |
| Count | 138 | 111 | -19.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frowner bearers went from 138 to 111 (-19.6% change). The surname moved down 24,117 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #148,665.
FAQ
Frowner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frowner?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Frowner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Frowner?
Frowner ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Frowner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Frowner.
Has Frowner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frowner went from 138 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 27 (-19.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Frowner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frowner, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Frowner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frowner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Frowner (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 Frowner mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with a habitual frown or scowling expression. 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 Frowner (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 Frowner?
You can see how many people have the surname Frowner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.