NameCensus.

UK surname

Fry

An occupational surname referring to someone who fried food or worked as a fryer.

In the 1881 census there were 9,452 people recorded with the Fry surname, ranking it #451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11,815, ranked #552, down from #451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Copeland and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fry is 12,499 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.0%.

1881 census count

9,452

Ranked #451

Modern count

11,815

2016, ranked #552

Peak year

1999

12,499 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fry had 9,452 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 11,815 in 2016, ranked #552.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,840 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fry surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fry 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 6,469 #423
1881 historical 9,452 #451
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 11,840 #440
1997 modern 12,088 #510
1998 modern 12,454 #515
1999 modern 12,499 #516
2000 modern 12,379 #517
2001 modern 12,051 #518
2002 modern 12,259 #520
2003 modern 11,965 #522
2004 modern 12,019 #523
2005 modern 11,677 #533
2006 modern 11,583 #535
2007 modern 11,627 #537
2008 modern 11,659 #537
2009 modern 11,839 #542
2010 modern 12,048 #548
2011 modern 11,982 #544
2012 modern 11,759 #545
2013 modern 12,054 #547
2014 modern 12,105 #547
2015 modern 11,941 #549
2016 modern 11,815 #552

Geography

Back to top

Where Frys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and Farnham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Copeland, Cornwall, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Farnham Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
2 Copeland 008 Copeland
3 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
4 Bath and North East Somerset 015 Bath and North East Somerset
5 South Gloucestershire 029 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fry

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fry

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fry, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Fry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fry household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Fry is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fry is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fry falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fry is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fry

The surname Fry has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'fry', meaning a person who cooked or fried food. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a fryer, a cook, or a seller of fried foods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fry can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a person named William Fry is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Peter le Frye.

During the 13th century, the name Fry began to appear in various regions of England, including Wiltshire, Somerset, and Devon. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, particularly in the West Country.

In the 14th century, the name Fry was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Johannes le Fry was recorded in 1348. The name was also mentioned in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Thomas Fry was listed.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Fry was Sir Walter Fry, a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1611). Another notable figure was John Fry (1609-1657), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Vicar of Merston in Wiltshire.

In the 17th century, the name Fry gained prominence with Joseph Fry (1728-1787), a Quaker chocolate maker from Bristol. His descendant, Joseph Storrs Fry (1767-1835), continued the family business and helped establish the Fry's chocolate company, which became one of the largest producers of chocolate in England.

Other notable individuals with the surname Fry include: - Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845), a prominent English prison reformer and philanthropist. - Roger Fry (1866-1934), an English artist and art critic who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group. - Christopher Fry (1907-2005), an English playwright and playwright, known for his verse dramas. - Stephen Fry (born 1957), a British actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter.

The surname Fry has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Frey, Frye, and Frye, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation differences across England. However, the name has maintained its occupational roots and has become widely distributed throughout the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fry 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. Middlesex leads with 1,182 Frys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.26x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,182 1.26x
Somerset 1,062 7.05x
Surrey 1,037 2.27x
Gloucestershire 964 5.25x
Wiltshire 728 8.79x
Hampshire 709 3.70x
Kent 660 2.07x
Devon 506 2.60x
Dorset 428 6.97x
Lancashire 257 0.23x
Glamorgan 254 1.56x
Yorkshire 247 0.27x
Sussex 224 1.42x
Essex 158 0.86x
Berkshire 154 2.19x
Monmouthshire 144 2.13x
Cornwall 128 1.21x
Buckinghamshire 81 1.43x
Warwickshire 77 0.33x
Staffordshire 67 0.21x
Derbyshire 43 0.29x
Oxfordshire 42 0.73x
Lanarkshire 39 0.13x
Channel Islands 37 1.33x
Worcestershire 35 0.29x
Cheshire 30 0.15x
Durham 29 0.10x
Northumberland 29 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.16x
Royal Navy 20 1.79x
Herefordshire 18 0.47x
Renfrewshire 17 0.23x
Norfolk 15 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 15 0.50x
Hertfordshire 13 0.20x
Leicestershire 13 0.13x
Northamptonshire 13 0.15x
Suffolk 13 0.11x
Cumberland 10 0.12x
Shropshire 10 0.12x
Bedfordshire 9 0.19x
Lincolnshire 9 0.06x
Midlothian 9 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 0.59x
Ayrshire 7 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.10x
Argyllshire 4 0.15x
Rutland 2 0.29x
Westmorland 2 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Angus 1 0.01x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.05x
Merionethshire 1 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.05x
Perthshire 1 0.02x
West Lothian 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 153 Frys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.56x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 153 2.56x
Farnham 147 41.45x
Lambeth 147 1.80x
Bristol St George 122 14.37x
Kensington London 122 2.34x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 116 6.71x
Walcot 101 12.59x
Portsea 100 2.66x
Islington London 99 1.09x
Bitton Oldland 90 47.96x
St Pancras London 90 1.19x
Kingston On Thames 82 7.48x
Tonbridge 72 6.25x
Bedminster 64 4.52x
Battersea 59 1.71x
Croydon 56 2.21x
Newington 54 1.56x
Hackney London 53 1.01x
Holdenhurst 53 10.53x
St George Hanover Square 53 3.21x
St Marylebone London 51 1.02x
Chelsea London 50 1.77x
Chippenham 49 28.23x
Cranborne 49 65.98x
Alderbury 47 120.95x
Ryde 47 11.40x
Westport St Mary 47 78.36x
Deptford St Paul 46 1.87x
Westbury On Trym 45 7.24x
Bristol St James St Paul 44 7.19x
Birmingham 43 0.55x
Lewisham 42 2.47x
Willesden 40 4.53x
Paddington London 39 1.13x
St Woollos 39 5.16x
Wandsworth 39 4.33x
Cheltenham 38 2.68x
Llandaff 38 7.01x
Brighton 37 1.16x
Clifton 36 3.88x
Hullavington 36 179.46x
Wellington 35 17.13x
South Stoneham 34 8.17x
Bitton 33 20.65x
Poole St James 33 14.30x
Swindon 33 5.14x
Bremhill 32 85.81x
Maidstone 32 3.36x
Mile End Old Town London 32 1.61x
Southampton St Mary 32 2.65x
Barking 31 5.73x
Clerkenwell London 31 1.40x
St Luke London 31 2.06x
Reading St Giles 30 4.35x
Ringwood 29 23.63x
Greenwich 28 1.88x
Malmesbury St Paul 28 39.33x
Newport 28 26.91x
Swansea Town 28 2.10x
Upton Cum Chalvey 28 12.42x
Castle Combe 27 170.24x
Bermondsey 26 0.93x
Bromley London 26 1.26x
Cardiff St Mary 26 2.90x
Charlton Kings 26 20.47x
East Brent 26 114.14x
Liverpool 26 0.39x
Long Ashton 26 34.80x
Shoreditch London 26 0.64x
Taunton St Mary 26 9.40x
Tottenham 26 1.74x
Toxteth Park 26 0.69x
Weston Super Mare 26 6.83x
Bethnal Green London 25 0.61x
Charfield 24 133.56x
Gillingham 24 3.65x
Plymouth St Andrew 24 1.60x
Southampton All Sts 24 7.29x
Tynemouth 24 3.22x
Ystradyfodwg 24 1.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 579
Elizabeth 391
Sarah 292
Ellen 179
Ann 171
Eliza 162
Jane 162
Emma 161
Emily 155
Alice 151
Annie 146
Fanny 83
Louisa 77
Edith 69
Charlotte 66
Caroline 65
Martha 65
Harriet 61
Kate 59
Hannah 57
Susan 51
Florence 50
Maria 45
Ada 42
Amelia 41
Clara 40
Frances 39
Lucy 38
Rose 38
Anne 34
Sophia 34
Harriett 31
Margaret 30
Catherine 29
Amy 28
Esther 28
Julia 27
Bessie 26
Minnie 26
Agnes 25
Matilda 21
Grace 20
Beatrice 19
Rosa 18
Henrietta 17
Jessie 17
Rosina 17
Eleanor 16
Anna 15
Rebecca 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 628
John 464
George 327
James 266
Henry 257
Thomas 257
Charles 243
Frederick 133
Alfred 125
Edward 123
Joseph 104
Walter 104
Albert 95
Robert 93
Samuel 91
Arthur 87
Richard 72
Frank 60
Harry 57
Edwin 48
Ernest 48
Herbert 40
Francis 39
Stephen 35
Sidney 25
Isaac 23
Tom 22
Benjamin 21
Wm. 21
David 20
Daniel 18
Geo. 17
Edmund 16
Percy 16
Fredrick 15
Lewis 14
Edgar 12
Fredk. 12
Abraham 11
Fred 11
Sydney 10
Jacob 9
Jesse 9
Peter 9
Thos. 9
Andrew 8
Philip 8
Phillip 8
Chas. 7
Mark 7

FAQ

Fry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,452 people were recorded with the Fry surname. That placed it at #451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 11,815 in 2016. That gives Fry a modern rank of #552.

What does the Fry surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who fried food or worked as a fryer.

What does the Fry map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fry 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.