NameCensus.

UK surname

Frame

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of picture frames or a builder of wooden frameworks.

In the 1881 census there were 1,935 people recorded with the Frame surname, ranking it #2,255 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,131, ranked #2,164, up from #2,255 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hamilton, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside, Hareleeshill and Glassford, Quarter and Allanton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frame is 3,228 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.8%.

1881 census count

1,935

Ranked #2,255

Modern count

3,131

2016, ranked #2,164

Peak year

2010

3,228 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frame had 1,935 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,255 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,131 in 2016, ranked #2,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,471 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Frame surname distribution map

The map shows where the Frame surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Frame surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Frame over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,166 #2,420
1861 historical 1,476 #1,917
1881 historical 1,935 #2,255
1891 historical 2,173 #2,152
1901 historical 2,471 #2,211
1911 historical 710 #6,007
1997 modern 2,983 #2,168
1998 modern 3,088 #2,177
1999 modern 3,106 #2,182
2000 modern 3,149 #2,135
2001 modern 3,013 #2,190
2002 modern 3,115 #2,159
2003 modern 3,037 #2,163
2004 modern 3,055 #2,148
2005 modern 3,055 #2,117
2006 modern 3,065 #2,110
2007 modern 3,119 #2,099
2008 modern 3,126 #2,113
2009 modern 3,185 #2,122
2010 modern 3,228 #2,138
2011 modern 3,176 #2,152
2012 modern 3,090 #2,164
2013 modern 3,125 #2,178
2014 modern 3,142 #2,184
2015 modern 3,131 #2,169
2016 modern 3,131 #2,164

Geography

Back to top

Where Frames are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hamilton, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dalserf. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside, Hareleeshill, Glassford, Quarter and Allanton, Lesmahagow and Harthill and Salsburgh. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hamilton Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Dalserf Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside South Lanarkshire
2 Hareleeshill South Lanarkshire
3 Glassford, Quarter and Allanton South Lanarkshire
4 Lesmahagow South Lanarkshire
5 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Frame

These lists show first names that appear often with the Frame surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Frame

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Frame, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Frame surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Frame household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Frame is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Frame is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Frame falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Frame is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Frame, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Frame

The surname Frame has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'fram', meaning 'journey' or 'travel'. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who traveled frequently or who lived near a major road or pathway.

The earliest known recorded instance of the Frame surname dates back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a certain Roger Frame is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

Another early documented reference to the Frame surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, which list a Robert Frame as a taxpayer in that county. This suggests that the name had spread to various regions of England by that point.

The variant spelling 'Fram' is also found in historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Fram is listed. This spelling likely reflects the original Old English pronunciation of the word from which the surname is derived.

One notable early bearer of the Frame surname was John Frame, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several trade records from the time, indicating the family's involvement in commerce.

In the 16th century, the Frame surname appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. This is evidenced by records such as the Muster Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1539, which list several individuals with the surname.

A few other notable individuals with the Frame surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Frame (c. 1588-1668), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

2. Samuel Frame (1750-1828), an American politician and jurist who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as a judge in Pennsylvania.

3. James Frame (1792-1867), a Scottish-born Canadian Anglican priest and educator who played a significant role in the development of higher education in Ontario.

4. William Frame (1828-1899), an American civil engineer and surveyor who was involved in the construction of several railroads and the mapping of the western United States.

5. Janet Frame (1924-2004), a celebrated New Zealand author and poet who is widely regarded as one of the country's most significant writers of the 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Frame families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frame surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,174 Frames recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.59x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,174 19.59x
Midlothian 92 3.71x
Lancashire 80 0.36x
Renfrewshire 67 4.66x
Northumberland 64 2.32x
Durham 45 0.82x
Middlesex 39 0.21x
West Lothian 34 12.18x
Perthshire 24 2.89x
Dunbartonshire 23 4.62x
Peeblesshire 23 26.38x
Stirlingshire 22 3.22x
Clackmannanshire 19 12.41x
Surrey 17 0.19x
Wiltshire 17 1.04x
Warwickshire 15 0.32x
Glamorgan 14 0.43x
Ayrshire 13 0.94x
Cheshire 13 0.32x
Kent 13 0.21x
Fife 12 1.09x
East Lothian 11 4.48x
Buteshire 10 8.90x
Monmouthshire 10 0.75x
Berkshire 6 0.43x
Somerset 6 0.20x
Staffordshire 6 0.10x
Gloucestershire 4 0.11x
Yorkshire 4 0.02x
Cumberland 3 0.19x
Essex 3 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.12x
Leicestershire 2 0.10x
Lincolnshire 2 0.07x
Royal Navy 2 0.91x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.06x
Argyllshire 1 0.19x
Devon 1 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.24x
Hampshire 1 0.03x
Inverness-shire 1 0.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.37x
Wigtownshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalserf in Lanarkshire leads with 138 Frames recorded in 1881 and an index of 230.69x.

Place Total Index
Dalserf 138 230.69x
Hamilton 114 68.19x
Govan 111 7.49x
Barony 110 7.25x
Carluke 75 137.79x
Cambusnethan 72 54.08x
Lesmahagow 70 110.43x
Glasgow 59 5.54x
Lanark 58 120.26x
New Monkland 42 23.70x
Old Monkland 37 15.55x
Rutherglen 37 42.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 31 3.10x
Bothwell 28 17.22x
Dalziel 26 40.32x
Shotts 26 36.25x
Blantyre 23 36.86x
Avondale 22 62.77x
Westgate 19 11.13x
Linlithgow 18 50.28x
Stonehouse 17 83.62x
West Calder 17 34.74x
Chorlton On Medlock 15 4.29x
Lasswade 15 26.42x
Maryhill 15 12.78x
Westoe 15 4.80x
Shettleston 14 26.09x
Trowbridge 14 19.32x
Douglas 13 75.23x
Edgbaston 13 8.97x
Innerleithen 13 56.18x
Newcastle On Tyne St 13 9.09x
Abbey 12 5.48x
Aberdare 12 5.42x
North Shields 12 21.81x
Widnes 12 7.56x
Bathgate 11 18.15x
East Kilbride 11 42.85x
Muckhart 11 286.46x
Neilston 11 15.26x
Paisley Middle Church 11 13.15x
South Shields 11 22.39x
Tillicoultry 11 32.31x
Bedwellty 10 4.23x
Birkenhead 10 3.07x
Cambuslang 10 16.55x
Cathcart 10 12.87x
Willington 10 31.39x
Cumbernauld 9 32.98x
Renfrew 9 18.98x
Alloa 8 10.78x
Camberwell 8 0.68x
Carnwath 8 21.59x
Islington London 8 0.45x
Mile End Old Town London 8 2.03x
Westminster St John 8 3.54x
Worsley 8 5.90x
Falkirk 7 4.37x
Larbert 7 17.13x
Liverpool 7 0.52x
Manchester 7 0.71x
Peebles 7 27.17x
Perth East Church 7 8.93x
Pettinain 7 307.02x
Preston 7 1.19x
Bonhill 6 7.50x
Bute North 6 78.95x
Crawfordjohn 6 112.15x
Culter 6 164.84x
Glassford 6 64.94x
Portishead 6 27.06x
Prestonpans 6 36.45x
Reading St Mary 6 5.38x
Burton Upon Trent 5 3.42x
Chatham 5 2.87x
Cramond 5 26.57x
Duddingston 5 10.03x
Ferry Port On Craig 5 27.70x
Mid Calder 5 46.47x
Whitburn 5 12.40x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Frame surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 15
Jane 12
Sarah 11
Margaret 10
Ann 8
Hannah 8
Annie 6
Emma 6
Catherine 4
Ellen 4
Maria 4
Agnes 3
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Jessie 2
Margt. 2
Martha 2
Sophia 2
Amy 1
Cath. 1
Cecilia 1
Eliza. 1
Elizath 1
Elsie 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanetta 1
Florence 1
Georgiana 1
Hanh. 1
Harriette 1
Helena 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
M.A.H. 1
Marianne 1
Marion 1
Wm. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Frame surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 29
James 20
William 19
Thomas 14
Joseph 9
Robert 9
George 8
Samuel 7
Henry 6
David 4
Alexander 3
Alfred 3
Andrew 3
Frederick 3
Hy. 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Anthony 2
Charles 2
Chas. 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Patrick 2
Robt. 2
Ann 1
Arthur 1
Benj. 1
Benjamin 1
Brown 1
Catherine 1
Colin 1
Cuthbert 1
Douglas 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Fredk.W. 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Lockhart 1
Moses 1
Rob. 1
Sam 1
Sydney 1
T. 1
Thos.P. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Frame surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frame surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,935 people were recorded with the Frame surname. That placed it at #2,255 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frame surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,131 in 2016. That gives Frame a modern rank of #2,164.

What does the Frame surname mean?

An occupational surname for a maker or seller of picture frames or a builder of wooden frameworks.

What does the Frame map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Frame bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.