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Fryer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Fryer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The distinguished surname Fryer emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. Occupational surnames were derived from the common trades of the medieval era. The surname Fryer is an occupational name for a friar. The surname Fryer is derived from the Old French word frere, which means friar. 1 2

Early Origins of the Fryer family

The surname Fryer was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed: Benedictus le Frere, Cambridgeshire; and John le Frere, Norfolk. 3 Over in Somerset, Cecylia le Frere, was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Another source notes that Robert (le) Frere was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, 1196-1195 and Roger le Frier was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243. 5

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Margota Frere; and Isabella Frere as holding lands there at that time. 3

"There were gentle families of the name in Great Wigston and Blaby, Leicestershire, during last century. John Freer was rector of Knossington in the reign of Anne. One of the name was mayor of Leicester about a century ago. The name also occurs in Yorkshire. Since Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, and Yorkshire are all of them homes of both the Freers and the Fryers, the two names are probably different forms of the same name." 6

Early History of the Fryer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fryer research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1517, 1521, 1525, 1544, 1548, 1555, 1563, 1571, 1598, 1605, 1623, 1671, 1672 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Fryer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fryer Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Freer, Fryer, Frier, Frere and others.

Early Notables of the Fryer family

Prominent in the family at this time was

John Fryer (d. 1563), English physician, born at Balsham, Cambridgeshire, educated at Eton and elected thence to King's College, Cambridge, in 1517. "He graduated B.A. in 1521 and M.A. in 1525. On 5 N...
John Fryer (fl. 1571), the English physician, who has been erroneously described as the son of John Fryer, M.D. (d. 1563) [q. v.], was born at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire, and educated at Cambridge...
John Fryer (d. 1672), the English physician, was a grandson of John Fryer, M.D. (d. 1563) [q. v.], and the eldest son of Thomas Fryer, M.D. (d. 1623.)
John Fryer (d. 1733), the English traveller, eldest son of William Fryer of London, was a member of Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he transferred himself on 23 July 1671 to Pembroke College in...
Leonard Fryer (d. 1605?), Sergeant-Painter to Queen Elizabeth, received in 1598 the office of sergeant-painter for life

Fryer Ranking

In the United States, the name Fryer is the 4,310^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 7 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Fryer is ranked the 965^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,221 people with that name. 8

Fryer migration to the United States +

Early immigration records have shown some of the first Fryers to arrive on North American shores:

Fryer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Fryer, who settled in Virginia with his wife in 1623
Thomas Fryer, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1639 9
John Fryer, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 9
Edward Fryer, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 9
Edward Fryer, who landed in Virginia in 1650 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fryer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anne Fryer, who landed in Virginia in 1702 9
Mary Fryer, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 9
Humphry Fryer, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 9
John Caspar Fryer, who landed in New York in 1765 9
Jacob Fryer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1769 9

Fryer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

E. Fryer, who arrived in Baltimore in 1820
A. Fryer, who settled in Baltimore in 1820
Augustin Fryer, who settled in Louisiana in 1836-1841
James Fryer, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1842 9
George Fryer, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1843 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fryer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fryer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Fryer, aged 22, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the barque "New Brunswick" from Liverpool, England

Fryer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fryer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Fryer, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Richard Fryer, (King), British convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. William Fryer, (b. 1817), aged 19 who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. James Fryer, English convict who was convicted in Buckinghamshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. John Fryer, English convict who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 28th March 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) from Bermuda 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fryer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fryer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Sarah Fryer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Surge" in 1855
Anthony Fryer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
James A. Fryer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
Benjamin Fryer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cairngorm" in 1863
Thomas Fryer, aged 42, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rooparell" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fryer (post 1700) +

Eric Joseph Fryer (b. 1985), American professional baseball catcher
Lester K. Fryer (1919-1990), American Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
John E. Fryer (1938-2003), American psychiatrist and gay rights activist
Donald Sidney Fryer (b. 1934), American poet and entertainer
William J. “Tucker” Fryer (1895-1960), English-American soccer half back
Roland Gerhard Fryer Jr. (b. 1977), American Professor of Economics at Harvard University
Edward Fryer (1761-1826), English physician, born in 1761 at Frome, Somersetshire 15
John Leavy "Jack" Fryer (b. 1911), English footballer
John Spencer "Jack" Fryer (1877-1933), English footballer
John Fryer (d. 1563), English physician, humanist and early reformer
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Fryer family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Kenneth James Fryer (1919-1941), Australian Ordinary Telegraphist from Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 16

RMS Titanic

Mr. Albert Ernest Fryer, aged 29, English Trimmer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 13 17

Victoria steamboat disaster

Alfred Robt Fryer, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881
Matilda Fryer, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881
William S. Fryer, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881

Citations +

Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bangalore
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html