NameCensus.

UK surname

Freathy

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Freathy surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 82, ranked #32,895, down from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paignton, St Winnow and Lydd. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Basingstoke and Deane and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Freathy is 110 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.2%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

82

2016, ranked #32,895

Peak year

1911

110 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Freathy had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 82 in 2016, ranked #32,895.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Freathy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Freathy surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Freathy 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 105 #27,035
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 92 #28,974
2004 modern 85 #30,132
2005 modern 87 #29,966
2006 modern 84 #30,665
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 79 #31,957
2009 modern 72 #33,021
2010 modern 76 #33,009
2011 modern 83 #32,336
2012 modern 80 #32,877
2013 modern 87 #32,472
2014 modern 88 #32,495
2015 modern 88 #32,421
2016 modern 82 #32,895

Geography

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Where Freathys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paignton, St Winnow, Lydd, Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Basingstoke and Deane, Cornwall and East Devon. 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 Paignton Devon
2 St Winnow Cornwall
3 Lydd Kent
4 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent
5 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 010 Northumberland
2 Basingstoke and Deane 007 Basingstoke and Deane
3 Northumberland 013 Northumberland
4 Cornwall 029 Cornwall
5 East Devon 009 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Freathy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Freathy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Freathy, 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 Freathy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Freathy 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, Freathy 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.

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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

Freathy 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

Freathy falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Freathy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Freathy 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. Cornwall leads with 31 Freathys recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.66x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 31 34.66x
Kent 24 8.90x
Devon 18 10.95x
Middlesex 3 0.38x
Surrey 3 0.78x
Hampshire 1 0.62x
Lancashire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Antony in Cornwall leads with 31 Freathys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3604.65x.

Place Total Index
Antony 31 3604.65x
Lydd 15 2586.21x
Paignton 11 880.00x
Gillingham 9 161.87x
Battersea 3 10.32x
Bere Ferrers 3 1111.11x
Devonport 2 105.82x
St Pancras London 2 3.15x
Stoke Damerel 2 17.38x
Accrington 1 11.74x
Mile End Old Town London 1 5.95x
Portsmouth 1 26.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Bessie 3
Clara 2
Emily 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Augusta 1
Carrey 1
Clarinda 1
Elavina 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Flora 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Ida 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Maud 1
Thomazine 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Charles 4
William 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
George 3
James 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Infant 2
Archie 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Sydney 1
Ussella 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Freathy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Freathy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Freathy surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Freathy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 82 in 2016. That gives Freathy a modern rank of #32,895.

What does the Freathy map show?

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