NameCensus.

UK surname

Defries

Derived from the French "de Fries" meaning "from Friesland".

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Defries surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 172, ranked #21,648, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to -, Christ Church Spitalfields and St Mary Whitechapel. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Camden, Brentwood and Hertsmere.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Defries is 205 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.4%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

172

2016, ranked #21,648

Peak year

1911

205 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Defries had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016, ranked #21,648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Defries surname distribution map

The map shows where the Defries surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Defries surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Defries over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 44 #25,328
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 170 #16,816
1901 historical 200 #15,120
1911 historical 205 #14,733
1997 modern 174 #19,231
1998 modern 180 #19,298
1999 modern 177 #19,670
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 168 #19,986
2002 modern 159 #21,086
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 163 #20,685
2005 modern 164 #20,552
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 173 #20,465
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 190 #19,942
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 178 #21,108
2014 modern 181 #21,033
2015 modern 180 #20,997
2016 modern 172 #21,648

Geography

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Where Defries' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around -, Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Camden, Brentwood, Hertsmere, Barking and Dagenham and County Durham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 - City Of London
2 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
3 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
4 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Camden 004 Camden
2 Brentwood 006 Brentwood
3 Hertsmere 011 Hertsmere
4 Barking and Dagenham 020 Barking and Dagenham
5 County Durham 016 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Defries

These lists show first names that appear often with the Defries surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Defries

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Defries, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Defries surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Defries household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Defries is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Defries is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Defries falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Defries is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Defries, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Defries

The surname DEFRIES originated in England and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Fries or Frese in Lancashire or Yorkshire. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was de Frise, which appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English word "frīs," which referred to a Frisian or a person from Friesland, a coastal region in the Netherlands and Germany. In medieval times, many people from Friesland migrated to England, and it's possible that the DEFRIES name originated from one of these settlers.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John de Frise, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327. Another early reference can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, which recorded a William de Frese in 1381.

The DEFRIES name has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including de Frise, de Frese, Defrise, and Defrees, among others. These variations reflect the different regional dialects and scribal interpretations of the name over time.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Parish of St. Mary Abchurch in London, where a Thomas Defries was christened in 1589. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert de Fries (c. 1560-1637), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1618.

Other historical figures with the DEFRIES surname include:

1. William DeFries (1755-1830), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Ohio. 2. Benjamin DeFries (1786-1861), an American Baptist minister and educator from Virginia. 3. Robert DeFries (1844-1925), a French-born American artist and engraver. 4. Josephine DeFries (1888-1964), an American actress and vaudeville performer. 5. Elijah E. DeFries (1902-1987), an American civil engineer and academic who served as president of Pennsylvania State University from 1949 to 1970.

While the DEFRIES name is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Defries families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Defries surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 108 Defries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.79x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 108 8.79x
Durham 9 2.46x
Midlothian 6 3.64x
Surrey 2 0.33x
Leicestershire 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 22 Defries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 238.10x.

Place Total Index
Spitalfields London 22 238.10x
Islington London 12 10.07x
Shoreditch London 12 22.52x
Whitechapel London 10 82.58x
Bishopwearmouth 9 28.67x
Bethnal Green London 8 14.98x
Hampstead London 8 41.80x
Mile End Old Town London 8 30.58x
St Botolph Aldgate London 8 316.21x
Clerkenwell London 7 24.13x
Duddingston 6 181.27x
St George Bloomsbury 4 56.74x
St Pancras London 4 4.04x
Lambeth 2 1.87x
Mile End New Town London 2 82.30x
Ashby De La Zouch 1 31.65x
Hackney London 1 1.45x
St James Dukes Place 1 384.62x
St Luke London 1 5.07x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Defries surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 5
Esther 4
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Amelia 2
Emily 2
Isabella 2
Leah 2
Rebecca 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Dinah 1
Elizth. 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Florance 1
Henrietta 1
Isaael 1
Isabel 1
Jeanie 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Mara 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Phoebe 1
Rachael 1
Rebbecca 1
Rose 1
Rosine 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Defries surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henry 8
John 6
Isaac 3
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
George 2
Moss 2
Nathan 2
Solomon 2
Abraham 1
Andrew 1
Augustus 1
Benjamin 1
Bernard 1
Coleman 1
Earnest 1
Elgar 1
Elias 1
Emmanuel 1
Herman 1
Isac 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Levy 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Morris 1
Moses 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Weibe 1
William 1
Wolf 1

FAQ

Defries surname: questions and answers

How common was the Defries surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Defries surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Defries surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016. That gives Defries a modern rank of #21,648.

What does the Defries surname mean?

Derived from the French "de Fries" meaning "from Friesland".

What does the Defries map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Defries bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.