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

Fry, 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 Fry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fry in America

Fry is the 909th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fry surname appeared 38,029 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Fry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fry 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 Fry

The surname Fry has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'fry', meaning a person who cooked or fried food. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a fryer, a cook, or a seller of fried foods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fry can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a person named William Fry is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Peter le Frye.

During the 13th century, the name Fry began to appear in various regions of England, including Wiltshire, Somerset, and Devon. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, particularly in the West Country.

In the 14th century, the name Fry was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Johannes le Fry was recorded in 1348. The name was also mentioned in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Thomas Fry was listed.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Fry was Sir Walter Fry, a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1611). Another notable figure was John Fry (1609-1657), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Vicar of Merston in Wiltshire.

In the 17th century, the name Fry gained prominence with Joseph Fry (1728-1787), a Quaker chocolate maker from Bristol. His descendant, Joseph Storrs Fry (1767-1835), continued the family business and helped establish the Fry's chocolate company, which became one of the largest producers of chocolate in England.

Other notable individuals with the surname Fry include:

• Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845), a prominent English prison reformer and philanthropist.
• Roger Fry (1866-1934), an English artist and art critic who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group.
• Christopher Fry (1907-2005), an English playwright and playwright, known for his verse dramas.
• Stephen Fry (born 1957), a British actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter.

The surname Fry has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Frey, Frye, and Frye, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation differences across England. However, the name has maintained its occupational roots and has become widely distributed throughout the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fry

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

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

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

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