2000
#4,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,506
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.78
Rare Last name
Fryer
An occupational surname referring to someone who fried or cooked food.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,414 Americans carry the last name Fryer. That puts it at #4,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,736 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fryer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fryer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,736
Census rank
#4,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,337 bearers of the surname Fryer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryer, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are Black (16.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fryer
The surname Fryer originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "frygere," meaning "one who fries or cooks." It was an occupational name given to those who worked as fryers or cooks, typically in the kitchens of wealthy households or religious institutions.
In the early days, the surname was often spelled in various ways, including Fryer, Friere, Fryar, and Frier, reflecting the regional accents and dialects of the time. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1203, where it appears as "Radulfus le Friere."
The Fryer surname can also be traced to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Frere" in several counties, including Norfolk and Lincolnshire. This indicates that the name was already in use during the 11th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Fryer, born around 1290 in Yaxley, Suffolk. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament for Dunwich in 1328.
In the 14th century, the name Fryer was associated with several religious figures, including John Fryer, who was the Abbot of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire from 1358 to 1371.
During the Tudor period, the Fryer family gained prominence in London, with several members holding positions of influence. Notable among them was Sir Thomas Fryer (c.1510-1573), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1564.
In the 17th century, the name Fryer appeared in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable figure was John Fryer (1639-1733), an English traveler and writer who published an account of his travels to East India and Persia.
Another significant individual was Robert Fryer (1670-1732), an English physician and botanist who made valuable contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties.
The Fryer surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Fryers Copse in Hampshire and Fryers Marsh in Suffolk, further reinforcing its historical roots in the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fryer
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryer, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are Black (16.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Fryer 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 Fryer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.7% · 5,482
- Black or African American16.4% · 1,205
- Two or more races4.0% · 297
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 261
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fryer
Fryer 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
#4,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,524
+18 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.55
Rank movement Down 341 places
2020
#4,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,337
-187 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Up 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,373 | 7,506 | 2.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,714 | 7,524 | 2.55 | +18 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 341 places |
| 2020 | #4,690 | 7,337 | 2.45 | -187 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 24 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 Fryer 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 | #4,714 | #4,690 | 0.5% |
| Count | 7,524 | 7,337 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.55 | 2.45 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fryer bearers went from 7,524 to 7,337 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,714 to #4,690.
FAQ
Fryer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fryer?
Name Census estimates that about 8,414 living Americans carry the surname Fryer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,736 residents.
How common is Fryer?
Fryer ranks #4,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,337 people with the surname Fryer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Fryer.
Has Fryer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fryer went from 7,524 recorded bearers to 7,337. That is a decrease of 187 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,714 to #4,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Fryer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryer, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are Black (16.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Fryer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.7% (5,482 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fryer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.7%), Black (16.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Fryer (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 Fryer mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who fried or cooked food. 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 Fryer (2.45 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 share the surname Fryer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.