Fraire
A rare surname most likely tied to the old word for a friar, though some forms may also reflect French or Flemish influence.
The #7,247 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,104 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fraire is probably related to Old French frere, meaning “brother” or “friar,” ultimately from Latin frater, “brother.” In surname use, it may have begun as a nickname or occupational byname for someone associated with a religious house or clerical life. The spelling could also reflect regional French or Flemish influence, since similar forms appear in related continental surname traditions.
History
The historical evidence is thin, and the surviving citations only show the form in passing rather than as a fully explained headword. In England and other parts of Europe, surnames built on words for “friar” or “brother” often arose in medieval times as descriptive or occupational labels. The modern U.S. presence is small but established, suggesting later migration and surname preservation rather than a large single-origin cluster.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A medieval byname like this could sometimes be given ironically to someone who was notably unmonastic in temperament.
From the historical record
“p.n. Frere. Fraire; aloe, n., Flanders. Or>A^, S., j D., Dch. Freyr ; G. Freier; Fr. Frere; Old G. Friher (free lord) ; N.-Fr. Le Frere; p.n. Freshfield. A loc. n., Lancs. Or N.-Fr. De Freshville ; a p.n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)