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![Show Contents]() Fray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient roots of the Fray family are found in the German state of Bavaria. Fray was a local name, for someone who lived in Bavaria, where they grew to prominence and significant social and cultural influence in the early Middle Ages, contributing much to the feudal life of the time. The surname Fray derives from the German words, frei, which means free, and berg, which means hill, and is the name of a city in Germany. This surname is therefore a local name, and would have been adopted by someone who came from Freiberg. Early Origins of the Fray familyThe surname Fray was first found in Bavaria, where since ancient times the Freiberg family had been a prominent contributor to the development of the district's feudal society. Always prominent in social affairs, the name Freiberg became an integral part of the turbulent events of the period and the family therefore formed alliances with other distinguished families. Early History of the Fray familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fray research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1675 is included under the topic Early Fray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fray Spelling VariationsMany cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Fray include Freiberg, Freibergg, Freibberg, Freyberg, Freybberg, Freybergg, Frayberg, Fraybberg, Fraybergg, Freiburg, Freiberger, Freibuerg, Freibuerger, Freiperg, Freiperger, Freyburg, Freyberger, Freyperg, Frayburg, Frayberger, Frayperg, Freyburger and many more. Early Notables of the Fray familyMore information is included under the topic Early Fray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fray RankingIn the United States, the name Fray is the 11,232nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
 Fray migration to the United States | + |
German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Fray surname or a spelling variation of the name include:
Fray Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Jean Salomon Fray, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1794 2
Fray Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Caline Fray, aged 48, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1849 2
| Fray migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Fray Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- William Fray, who arrived in Canada in 1828
- William Fray, who arrived in Canada in 1841
| Fray migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Fray Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Robert Fray, English convict who was convicted in Chatham, Kent, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Fray (post 1700) | + |
- Tom Fray (b. 1979), English cricketer for Berkshire (1997-2006)
- Terryn Fray (b. 1991), Bermudan cricketer for the Bermuda National Team
- Michael "Mike" Fray (b. 1947), Jamaican former sprinter at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Sir John Fray (b. 1461), English lawyer and court official
- Derek John Fray FRS, British material scientist and professor at the University of Cambridge
- David Fray (b. 1981), French classical pianist
- Daniella Fray (b. 1990), British actress, screenwriter producer and philanthropist
- Arron Fray (b. 1987), English footballer
- Adrian Fray Lilly, American politician, Postmaster at Beckley, West Virginia, 1953-69 4
- Fray José de Guadalupe Mojica (1896-1974), Mexican Franciscan friar and former tenor and film actor
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Fray migration to the United States 
Fray migration to Canada 
Fray migration to Australia 
England
Germany
