It is named after Memphis physician Dr. J Frayser, who owned a summer home near the railroad.

[2] The area was settled in the 1820s, when Italian settlers purchased farmland in northwestern Shelby County.

This plant along with others, such as Firestone, south of Frayser helped spark housing demand in the community.

[6] Frayser is also home to the Memphis Business Academy (MBA) middle and high school.

[7] Frayser was home to Southwest Tennessee Community College's Gill Campus.

The Gill Campus was located in the northeastern quadrant of the neighborhood and about 350 students were enrolled there at its peak in 2013.