| ![Show Contents]() Fray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England produced the name of Fray. It was given to a person who was referred to as the fry, which literally means free. It has also been suggested that Fray comes from the Middle English word fry, meaning "small person," or "child." In either instance, the origins of the name are as a nickname which referred to characteristics of the first person who used the name. 1 2 Early Origins of the Fray familyThe surname Fray was first found in Wiltshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings: Thomas le Frye; and Geoffrey le Frye as both holding lands there at that time. Another source notes that William Frie was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Sussex in 1195 and Robert le Frye was listed in Warwickshire c. 1248. 3 In Cornwall, the Cornish version of the name denotes "a hill, a town or house on the most prominent part of a hill or eminence." 4 "Of the old Wiltshire families of yeomen, few can boast a greater antiquity, and few have shown more love of their county by remaining in it, than those bearing the name of Fry. Numerous as they now are, especially around Chippenham, we find that as far back as in the reigns of Henry III. and Edward I., the Fryes or Fries found in Wiltshire their main abode. The Frys of Ashgrove, in the parish of Donhead St. Mary, appear to be one of the parent stocks; they gave the burial ground for Quakers in that parish, which has been used for this purpose ever since the Society of Friends was first established in England." 5 The famed English prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, (1780-1845) born Elizabeth Gurney, hailed from Norfolk into a prominent Quaker family. After her first visit to Newgate Prison in 1813, she was horrified and vowed to make changes. One of her admirers, Queen Victoria granted her an audience that led to the Gaols Act of 1823. England still regards her with so much importance that her likeness appeared on the £5 note from 2001 to 2016. Early History of the Fray familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fray research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1307, 1312, 1426, 1448, 1461, 1474, 1609, 1657, 1666, 1748, 1777, 1780, 1845 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Fray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fray Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Fray has appeared include Fry, Frye, Free and others. Early Notables of the Fray familyNotables of the family at this time include - Sir John Fray (died 1461), an English lawyer who served as Baron of the Exchequer from 1426 and Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in 1448
Fray RankingIn the United States, the name Fray is the 11,232nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Fray family to Ireland
Some of the Fray family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Fray migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Fray arrived in North America very early:
Fray Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Jean Salomon Fray, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1794 7
Fray Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Caline Fray, aged 48, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1849 7
| 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 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Fray (post 1700) | + |
- Tom Fray (b. 1979), English cricketer for Berkshire (1997-2006)
- Sir John Fray (b. 1461), English lawyer and court official
- Arron Fray (b. 1987), English footballer
- Terryn Fray (b. 1991), Bermudan cricketer for the Bermuda National Team
- Michael "Mike" Fray (b. 1947), Jamaican former sprinter at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- 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
- Adrian Fray Lilly, American politician, Postmaster at Beckley, West Virginia, 1953-69 9
- Fray José de Guadalupe Mojica (1896-1974), Mexican Franciscan friar and former tenor and film actor
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- 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/
- 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
Ireland
