NameCensus.

UK surname

Frater

Latin origin meaning "brother" or "friar".

In the 1881 census there were 551 people recorded with the Frater surname, ranking it #6,263 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,126, ranked #5,236, up from #6,263 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Yetholm and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Berwickshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frater is 1,164 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 104.4%.

1881 census count

551

Ranked #6,263

Modern count

1,126

2016, ranked #5,236

Peak year

2010

1,164 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frater had 551 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,263 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,126 in 2016, ranked #5,236.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 690 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Frater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Frater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Frater 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 394 #6,105
1861 historical 347 #7,357
1881 historical 551 #6,263
1891 historical 588 #6,497
1901 historical 690 #6,352
1911 historical 455 #8,428
1997 modern 1,029 #5,355
1998 modern 1,106 #5,235
1999 modern 1,114 #5,242
2000 modern 1,094 #5,289
2001 modern 1,090 #5,208
2002 modern 1,123 #5,202
2003 modern 1,067 #5,305
2004 modern 1,084 #5,258
2005 modern 1,086 #5,177
2006 modern 1,067 #5,259
2007 modern 1,090 #5,225
2008 modern 1,094 #5,245
2009 modern 1,117 #5,248
2010 modern 1,164 #5,182
2011 modern 1,125 #5,268
2012 modern 1,104 #5,278
2013 modern 1,124 #5,282
2014 modern 1,134 #5,270
2015 modern 1,113 #5,307
2016 modern 1,126 #5,236

Geography

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Where Fraters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Yetholm, Gateshead, Greenlaw and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Berwickshire East. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Yetholm Roxburgh
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Greenlaw Berwick
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 004 Northumberland
5 Berwickshire East Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Frater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Frater

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Frater, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Frater surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Frater household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Frater is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Frater is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Frater falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Frater 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 Frater, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Frater

The surname FRATER originated in England and is derived from the Latin word "frater" meaning "brother." It was likely initially used to denote someone associated with a monastic order or religious brotherhood.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It was often spelled as "Frater" or "Fretre" in medieval records and documents.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that include the name Frater, suggesting the surname's early presence in the country.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Robert Frater, who was recorded as a landowner in the village of Clapham in Yorkshire in the late 12th century.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a John Frater was mentioned as a taxpayer in 1379.

In the 15th century, the surname was found in several places across England, including Lincolnshire, where a Thomas Frater was recorded as a landowner in the village of Withcall in 1430.

A notable figure with the surname was Sir Walter Frater, who lived during the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century. He served as a member of the King's Privy Council and was appointed as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas in 1537.

Another individual of note was John Frater, born in 1601 in Gloucestershire, who was a prominent theologian and author of several religious works in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a family of Fraters owned land in the village of Kirkburn.

During the 19th century, the name appeared in records from counties such as Lincolnshire, where a William Frater was listed as a farmer in the parish of Waddington in the 1851 census.

Throughout history, the surname FRATER has been associated with various professions, including clergy, landowners, judges, and scholars, reflecting its origins and connection to religious orders and intellectual pursuits.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Frater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frater 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. Durham leads with 95 Fraters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.95x.

County Total Index
Durham 95 5.95x
Northumberland 94 11.78x
Midlothian 53 7.37x
Lanarkshire 48 2.77x
Berwickshire 35 53.87x
Middlesex 35 0.65x
Roxburghshire 23 23.67x
Yorkshire 22 0.41x
Aberdeenshire 20 4.03x
East Lothian 17 23.92x
Stirlingshire 17 8.59x
West Lothian 13 16.09x
Lancashire 9 0.14x
Selkirkshire 9 18.54x
Dunbartonshire 8 5.55x
Glamorgan 8 0.86x
Kent 5 0.27x
Surrey 5 0.19x
Cheshire 4 0.34x
Worcestershire 4 0.57x
Ayrshire 3 0.75x
Brecknockshire 3 2.80x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.92x
Dumfriesshire 3 2.53x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 3.86x
Renfrewshire 3 0.72x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.88x
Hampshire 2 0.18x
Argyllshire 1 0.67x
Devon 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.81x
Perthshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 30 Fraters recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.90x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 30 21.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 29 10.03x
Shettleston 16 103.03x
Nenthorn 12 1428.57x
Campsie 11 101.29x
Hetton Le Hole 11 54.37x
Islington London 11 2.12x
Lesmahagow 11 59.95x
Yetholm 11 572.92x
Dunbar 10 100.40x
Barony 9 2.05x
Greenlaw 9 391.30x
Linlithgow 9 86.87x
Southwick 9 59.52x
St Pancras London 9 2.08x
Cumbernauld 8 101.27x
Inveresk 8 41.11x
Llantwit Vairdre 8 76.19x
Ryhope 8 72.20x
Tarves 8 170.21x
Alnwick 7 51.02x
Byker 7 17.74x
Duddingston 7 48.51x
Earlston 7 215.38x
North Seaton 7 208.96x
Thornaby 7 35.23x
Tynemouth 7 16.37x
Coldstream 6 127.66x
Hebron Cockle Park Earsdon 6 909.09x
Oxnam 6 480.00x
Rothbury 6 262.01x
Seaton Delaval 6 85.59x
Shilbottle 6 759.49x
Tranent 6 62.50x
Westgate 6 12.14x
Whitby 6 33.48x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 4.82x
Brandon Byshottles 5 25.00x
Cambusnethan 5 12.97x
Cramond 5 91.74x
Elford 5 3333.33x
Haswell 5 43.71x
Manchester 5 1.75x
St Giles In Fields London 5 19.00x
Stoke Newington London 5 11.96x
Winlaton 5 32.66x
York St Giles In 5 99.80x
Bassington 4 40000.00x
Fladbury 4 481.93x
Galashiels 4 22.30x
Govan 4 0.93x
Hawick 4 18.39x
Melrose 4 32.73x
Stirling 4 16.03x
Thornley 4 69.20x
Westoe 4 4.42x
Woolwich 4 5.91x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 3 3.23x
Bermondsey 3 1.88x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 17.74x
Brecknock St John 3 33.15x
Chester St Oswald 3 13.99x
Dawdon 3 15.28x
Detchant 3 1500.00x
Ecclesmachan 3 588.24x
Felton 3 240.00x
Grendon Underwood 3 410.96x
Holywell 3 72.99x
Kelton 3 47.02x
Poplar London 3 2.96x
South Leith 3 3.71x
Stevenston 3 28.65x
Warenford 3 7500.00x
West Greenock 3 4.02x
Whickham 3 20.42x
Glanton 2 217.39x
Kenarth 2 63.90x
Little Driffield 2 500.00x
Polmont 2 27.36x
West Derby 2 1.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Isabella 13
Jane 12
Elizabeth 10
Margaret 9
Ann 6
Hannah 6
Sarah 5
Catherine 4
Ellen 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Annie 3
Barbara 3
Eleanor 3
Harriett 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Euphemia 2
Florence 2
Margt. 2
Marion 2
Adel. 1
Adelaide 1
Babra 1
Caroline 1
Cath. 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.Jane 1
Elizth. 1
Ellenor 1
Emiley 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Heneritte 1
James 1
Joan 1
Lizzie 1
Margrate 1
Margret 1
Marianne 1
Phillis 1
Priscilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
George 18
James 16
Thomas 13
William 8
Robert 7
David 4
Ralph 4
Richard 4
Henry 3
Mark 3
Alexander 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Moses 2
Oliver 2
Peter 2
Adam 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Burnip 1
Cuthbert 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Morgan 1
Ralf 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Frater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 551 people were recorded with the Frater surname. That placed it at #6,263 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,126 in 2016. That gives Frater a modern rank of #5,236.

What does the Frater surname mean?

Latin origin meaning "brother" or "friar".

What does the Frater map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Frater 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.