2000
#9,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Fryman
An occupational surname referring to a person who fried or cooked food, particularly one who fried fish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,639 Americans carry the last name Fryman. That puts it at #9,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,189 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fryman 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
3.6K
1 in 94,189
Census rank
#9,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,173 bearers of the surname Fryman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fryman
The surname Fryman is of English origin, traced back to the medieval times, specifically the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fryman," which referred to a freeman or a tenant farmer. The name was commonly found in the southern regions of England, particularly in the counties of Sussex and Kent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fryman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex, dating back to 1195. These rolls were medieval financial records maintained by the Exchequer, listing the names of individuals who paid taxes or fees to the Crown. The entry "Robert le Fryman" is documented in these rolls, indicating the presence of the surname in the late 12th century.
During the 13th century, the surname appears in various historical records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of 1216, which mention a "William Fryman" from Berkshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Fryman, including "Richard le Fryman" from Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the surname Fryman began to appear in more diverse regions of England. The Poll Tax of 1381, a significant historical document recording taxpayers during the reign of Richard II, lists numerous individuals with the surname, such as "John Fryman" from Yorkshire and "Margery Fryman" from Norfolk.
One notable bearer of the surname Fryman was John Fryman, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's trade and civic affairs, serving as the Mayor of Bristol in 1486 and 1494.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Fryman, a clergyman and scholar who lived in the 16th century. Born in 1520 in Oxfordshire, Fryman attended the University of Oxford and later became the Rector of Stratton St. Margaret in Wiltshire. He was known for his writings on theological and philosophical subjects.
In the 17th century, the Fryman surname was found in various regions of England, including the counties of Essex, Gloucestershire, and Lincolnshire. One notable bearer of the name during this period was William Fryman, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Stoke Golding, Leicestershire, in the mid-17th century.
The 18th century saw the Fryman surname spread further across England, with records indicating families bearing the name in counties such as Derbyshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. In 1745, a Samuel Fryman was born in Staffordshire, and he later became a prominent merchant and industrialist in the city of Birmingham.
Throughout history, the surname Fryman has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and ecclesiastical roles. While the name originated from the Old English term for a freeman or tenant farmer, it has evolved over the centuries and been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fryman
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fryman 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 Fryman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 2,957
- Two or more races3.1% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 68
- Black or African American1.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fryman
Fryman 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
#9,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,329
+76 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 513 places
2020
#9,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,173
-156 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,223 | 3,253 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,736 | 3,329 | 1.13 | +76 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 513 places |
| 2020 | #9,757 | 3,173 | 1.06 | -156 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 21 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 Fryman 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 | #9,736 | #9,757 | -0.2% |
| Count | 3,329 | 3,173 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.06 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fryman bearers went from 3,329 to 3,173 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,736 to #9,757.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fryman
FAQ
Fryman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fryman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,639 living Americans carry the surname Fryman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,189 residents.
How common is Fryman?
Fryman ranks #9,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,173 people with the surname Fryman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,639), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fryman.
Has Fryman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fryman went from 3,329 recorded bearers to 3,173. That is a decrease of 156 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,736 to #9,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Fryman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fryman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Fryman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (2,957 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fryman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Fryman (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 Fryman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who fried or cooked food, particularly one who fried fish. 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 Fryman (1.06 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 are called Fryman?
You can see how many people are called Fryman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.