2000
#99,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Fryxell
A toponymic surname derived from a Swedish place name referring to a field or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 247 Americans carry the last name Fryxell. That puts it at #91,884 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,387,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fryxell 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
247
1 in 1,387,669
Census rank
#91,884
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
215
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 215 bearers of the surname Fryxell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 91884th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryxell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fryxell
The surname Fryxell originated in Sweden, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Swedish word "fryxell," which means "free stream" or "unbound brook." This name likely referred to a geographic location or a waterway near where the earliest bearers of the name resided.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fryxell surname can be found in the Swedish church records from the parish of Ostergotland, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention a family with the name Fryxell residing in the village of Vastra Husby.
In the 17th century, the Fryxell name appeared in several historical documents, including land ownership records and tax registers. These documents provide insights into the lives of various Fryxell families and their occupations, which ranged from landowners to artisans.
Notable individuals with the Fryxell surname include Anders Fryxell (1795-1881), a renowned Swedish historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Sweden. His works, such as "Berättelser ur Svenska Historien" (Stories from Swedish History), were widely acclaimed and played a significant role in shaping the nation's historical narrative.
Another prominent figure was Nils Fryxell (1823-1897), a Swedish botanist and professor at the University of Uppsala. He made significant contributions to the study of mosses and authored several influential works on bryology, the study of mosses and liverworts.
In the literary realm, Sven Fryxell (1905-1995) was a Swedish novelist and playwright. His works explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class. One of his most celebrated novels, "Stängt för Renovation" (Closed for Renovation), earned him critical acclaim and recognition.
Moving forward in time, Bengt Fryxell (1914-2002) was a Swedish diplomat and politician who served as the Swedish ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union, during the latter half of the 20th century.
Lastly, Carina Fryxell (born 1965) is a contemporary Swedish artist known for her large-scale installations and sculptures. Her works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums across Europe, exploring themes of nature, sustainability, and the human relationship with the environment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fryxell
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryxell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fryxell 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 Fryxell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 197
- Two or more races4.7% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fryxell
Fryxell 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
#95,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192
+23 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 4,099 places
2020
#91,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
+23 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 3,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,214 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,115 | 192 | 0.07 | +23 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 4,099 places |
| 2020 | #91,884 | 215 | 0.07 | +23 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,231 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 Fryxell 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 | #95,115 | #91,884 | 3.4% |
| Count | 192 | 215 | 12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fryxell bearers went from 192 to 215 (+12.0% change). The surname moved up 3,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,115 to #91,884.
FAQ
Fryxell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fryxell?
Name Census estimates that about 247 living Americans carry the surname Fryxell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,387,669 residents.
How common is Fryxell?
Fryxell ranks #91,884 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 215 people with the surname Fryxell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (247), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Fryxell.
Has Fryxell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fryxell went from 192 recorded bearers to 215. That is an increase of 23 (+12.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,115 to #91,884.
What does the Census say about the background of Fryxell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryxell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Fryxell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (197 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fryxell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Fryxell (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 Fryxell mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a Swedish place name referring to a field or meadow. 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 Fryxell (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Fryxell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.