The Frisby surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,964 people carried this name — #8,350 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 74,600 people counted. That is up 5% from 3,784 in 2000.

See Frisby on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Frisby surname

A habitational surname from Old Norse.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Frisby» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Frisby’.

An early record he cites: John de Friseby, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Frisby and Frisbee.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 301 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Frisby was found among the farmers of Lincolnshire: 11 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lincolnshire 11

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Frisby in American newspapers,
1900–1912.

Newspaper page from Tensas Gazette carrying the name Frisby
Tensas Gazette 1912-05-17
Newspaper page from The San Francisco Call carrying the name Frisby
The San Francisco Call 1903-12-20
Newspaper page from The Republican Journal carrying the name Frisby
The Republican Journal 1900-11-29

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 21,536 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Frisby in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1970s.

3,114 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Frisby. The most, 860, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 5.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 1,813
Queensland 588
New South Wales 372
Victoria 220
Western Australia 77
Tasmania 22
ACT (Canberra) 11
Northern Territory 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Frisby.

Who carried it

People named Frisby,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Leander F. Frisby
    Leander F. Frisby 1825–1892 · lawyer
  • Leander F. Frisby
    Leander F. Frisby 1825–1889 · lawyer
  • Amy Frisby 1734–1824
  • Joanna Eliza Henderson 1826–1896
  • Amelia Christian A. Gilder 1856–
  • Florence Elizabeth Frisby 1880–1978 · computer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Frisby,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States313 records

313 records of the Frisby name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 140
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 63
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 56
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 25
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 15
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 11
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  • New York State police and firefighter memorial rolls 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Charles Lee Frisby

    Born 1944; from East St Louis, Illinois. U.S. Army, unit supply specialist; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Leroy Frisby

    Born 1920 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1942 at Philadelphia; painter. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Fernwood Cemetery, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Noah Frisby

    Arrived at New York in 1856 aboard the Neptune from Liverpool, aged 44; tailor. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 313 records for Frisby in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia83 records

83 records of the Frisby name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 46
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 18
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 9
  • Tasmanian Names Index 8
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Frisby

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the George III, sailing from Woolwich in 1834. Native of Oakham, Rutland.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Leonard Frisby

    Arrived in Queensland in 1914 aboard the Roscommon, aged 14.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Frisby

    Engineer of Abbotsford, Victoria; died 1947.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 83 records for Frisby in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom11 records

11 records of the Frisby name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Frisby

    Buried in 1830 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 32.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Annie Frisby

    Will proved in 1934; of Barmouth, Merioneth.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Frisby

    West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Frisby in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada8 records

8 records of the Frisby name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Albert Edward Frisby

    Died 1949; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Frederick Frisby

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Walter Frisby

    Died 1944; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 8 records for Frisby in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Frisby name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Hannah Frisby

    Died 1967, aged 81; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Frisby

    Died 1957, aged 75; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Frisby.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Frisby is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Frisby volume
Scroll to Top