An English and German surname, Frye comes from the Middle English term ‘fry’ which referred to a small person or child. The spelling variations for Frye include Fry, Frey and Free. In England the Frye family name is concentrated in the southeastern region. Most live in the city of London, Kent, Essex, Surrey and Middlesex counties. Within the United States the original Frye families lived in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio. Famous: Dwight Lliff Frye (theater and movie film actor), Mark Frye (music composer), Channing Thomas Frye (professional basketball player), Joseph Frye (military leader during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution), Virgil Charles Frye (champion boxer and later actor), Charles Frye (professional football player), Sean Anthony Frye (actor as a child in movies) and Thomas Frye (18th century artist from Ireland).