boy's name
Fraser
FRAY-zer
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 16,593
Scotland
#101
2024 births
Fraser is a boy's name from a Scottish clan surname whose meaning is unknown, and the strawberry flowers on the clan arms are a pun rather than a derivation. It ranks 101st in Scotland.
- Fraser is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in Scotland in 1997, when 292 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in Scotland.
- Today about 1 in 733 babies in Scotland is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1974.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Fraser over time
Births per decade in Scotland, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2024, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 772 |
| 1980s | 1,801 |
| 1990s | 2,569 |
| 2000s | 1,805 |
| 2010s | 1,113 |
| 2020s (to 2024) | 329 |
What Fraser means
Fraser has no established meaning. The strawberry reading is a heraldic joke: the French fraise, a strawberry, was adopted onto the clan arms because it sounds like the name, not because the name comes from it.
Where Fraser comes from
Fraser is a Scottish clan surname of genuinely unknown origin. The family appears in Scottish records from the twelfth century as de Fresel, de Friselle and Fraissier, and no convincing source has been found — proposals include a Norman place name and an Anglo-Norman family name, neither demonstrated. What is documented is the heraldry: the Frasers adopted cinquefoils, then strawberry flowers and fruit, on their arms, punning on the French fraise. That is canting arms — a visual joke on the name — and it has been read backwards ever since as the name's origin. Clan Fraser of Lovat led the last major Jacobite force at Culloden in 1746, and Simon Fraser, the eleventh Lord Lovat, was the last man beheaded in Britain. The Canadian Fraser River is named for the explorer Simon Fraser, a descendant.
Fraser in use
Fraser ranks 101st in Scotland with 52 births in 2024 and 308th in England and Wales, and it is falling in our data from a peak in 1997. Our records carry it from 1974, so its life as a given name rather than a surname is modern. It is very rare in the United States at 5,762nd, where Frasier — the television spelling — is better known than the name.
How popular is Fraser?
In 2024, Fraser was given to 52 babies in Scotland, ranking #101 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Fraser is used
Figures for Scotland withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Fraser
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Fraser also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Fraser over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Fraser in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Fraser
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Fraser — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Fraser
What does the name Fraser mean?
Nothing established. The family's origin is unknown despite eight centuries of Scottish records.
Does Fraser mean strawberry?
No. The strawberry flowers on the clan arms are a pun on the French fraise — canting arms, read backwards as an etymology.
Is Fraser a clan name?
Yes. Clan Fraser of Lovat led the last major Jacobite force at Culloden in 1746.
How popular is Fraser?
101st in Scotland and 308th in England and Wales.
Is Fraser a girl's or a boy's name?
Fraser is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Fraser?
Fraser has 2 syllables.
Is Fraser a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Fraser currently ranks #101 in Scotland. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.