The Fryer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,524 people carried this name — #4,714 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 39,200 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (7,506).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Fryer surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fryer» (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 name of office: ‘the friar’.

An early record he cites: Henricus Friere, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 302 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Fryer was found among the farmers of 5 counties.

It was most frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland: 25 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 400. 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

Leicestershire and Rutland 25
Cheshire 14
Nottinghamshire 12
Yorkshire, West Riding 11
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 8

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 the first U.S. census, 1790

51 families named Fryer, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 282 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 10 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 15
New York 12
North Carolina 10
South Carolina 7
Maryland 3
Virginia 2
Vermont 1
Rhode Island 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 241 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Fryer in American newspapers,
1866–1914.

Newspaper page from Rock Island Argus carrying the name Fryer
Rock Island Argus 1914-03-25
Newspaper page from St. Croix Avis carrying the name Fryer
St. Croix Avis 1866-04-13
Newspaper page from Rock Island Argus carrying the name Fryer
Rock Island Argus 1914-05-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 99,296 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fryer in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

24,339 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fryer. The most, 3,410, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 10,906
Victoria 5,335
Queensland 3,131
Western Australia 2,407
Tasmania 1,229
South Australia 1,092
ACT (Canberra) 184
Northern Territory 21

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

Who carried it

People named Fryer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Fryer
    John Fryer 1646–1733 · writer
  • Miranda Fryer d. 2022 · actor
  • Evelyn Ronald Moncrieff Fryer d. 1967
  • David Fryer d. 1800
  • Dorcas Roberts d. 1723
  • Joan Fryer 1470–

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 Fryer,
in the records of 8 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 States940 records

940 records of the Fryer name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 292
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 169
  • Other U.S. records 479
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Arby A. Fryer

    Born 1934; from Cass County, North Dakota. U.S. Army, combat construction specialist; killed in action 1952 in North Korea. Buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    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 Elmer R. Fryer

    Born 1898 in Missouri. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles, California; photographer. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1944, buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    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 Arthur Fryer

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 21; brewer. From Burton, England; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 940 records for Fryer in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · 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) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Australia753 records

753 records of the Fryer name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 447
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 112
  • Other Australian records 194
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Martha Annie Fryer

    Born 1854 in Hobart, Tasmania. Died 1921 in Tasmania, aged 67.

    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 James Fryer

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Winchester, aged 22; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 Richard Fryer

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the England, arriving 1835; ticket of leave 1844.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 753 records for Fryer in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada79 records

79 records of the Fryer name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 19
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 16
  • Other Canadian records 44
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Fryer

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Hibernian, landing at Portland, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Velma Gladys Fryer

    Buried in 1991 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 76.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Hilda Ruby Fryer

    Buried in 1994 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 88.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 79 records for Fryer in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom47 records

47 records of the Fryer name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 42
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Stephen Fryer

    Buried in 1810 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 31.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Fryer

    Corporal, West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Fryer

    Buried in 1814 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 48.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 47 records for Fryer in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · 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); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand23 records

23 records of the Fryer name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 13
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 7
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Amelia Fryer

    Died 1956, aged 86; buried at Bromley 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 George Arthur Fryer

    Died 1955, aged 48; buried at Seddon Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ronald Arthur Fryer

    Born 1919, died 1995; ashes interred at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 23 records for Fryer in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Waimakariri District 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Fryer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Thomas Fryer

    Baptised in 1618 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Robert Fryer

    In a population register; born 1828 in Otley.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Carolus Fryer

    Baptised in 1623 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Fryer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France3 records

3 records of the Fryer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Myriam Jeanne Fryer

    Born 1921 in Rouen; died 1985 in Rouen (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Stephen Gerard Fryer

    Born 1954 in Rouen; died 1991 in Rouen (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Fryer in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Fryer name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hans Fryer

    From Dresden. Reported wounded in the Saxon casualty list of 23 September 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 101).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fryer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fryer 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.

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