NameCensus.

UK surname

Fred

Derived from the Old English name "Frēderic" meaning "peaceful ruler".

In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Fred surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 175, ranked #21,383, up from #31,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, St Dunstan Stepney and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redbridge, Hounslow and Lewisham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fred is 411 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 872.2%.

1881 census count

18

Ranked #31,019

Modern count

175

2016, ranked #21,383

Peak year

1861

411 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fred had 18 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016, ranked #21,383.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 411 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Fred surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fred surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fred 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 411 #6,248
1881 historical 18 #31,019
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 33 #30,384
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 15 #36,409
1998 modern 14 #36,565
1999 modern 16 #36,371
2000 modern 19 #36,007
2001 modern 16 #36,160
2002 modern 19 #35,991
2003 modern 25 #35,471
2004 modern 25 #35,610
2005 modern 34 #35,056
2006 modern 47 #34,335
2007 modern 46 #34,634
2008 modern 41 #35,067
2009 modern 39 #35,321
2010 modern 52 #34,726
2011 modern 53 #34,630
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 175 #21,383

Geography

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Where Freds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, St Dunstan Stepney, Merthyr Tydfil, Eversley and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redbridge, Hounslow and Lewisham. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
3 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
4 Eversley Hampshire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redbridge 006 Redbridge
2 Hounslow 010 Hounslow
3 Hounslow 017 Hounslow
4 Lewisham 012 Lewisham
5 Redbridge 010 Redbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fred

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fred

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Fred surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Fred household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fred is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fred 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

Fred 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 Fred is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Fred

The surname FRED is of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "frið" meaning "peace" or "peaceful." It is believed to have originated in the 7th or 8th century in the northern region of England, particularly in areas such as Northumbria and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FRED can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Freddi" in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the medieval period, the name FRED was often associated with landed gentry and minor nobility. In the 13th century, a family bearing the name Fredesone held lands in the village of Fryston, near Pontefract in Yorkshire. This place name is thought to have derived from a combination of the surname and the Old English word "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement."

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John FRED (c. 1310-1378) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York. His descendants continued to be influential members of the city's mercantile class for several generations.

Another significant bearer of the FRED surname was Sir William FRED (c. 1470-1535), a knight and landowner from Lincolnshire. He served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VIII and played a role in the dissolution of the monasteries.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the FRED surname spread to other parts of England, as well as to Scotland and Ireland. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the American colonies, with James FRED (1725-1795) becoming a wealthy plantation owner in Virginia.

Other notable individuals with the FRED surname include: - Thomas FRED (1778-1852), an English poet and writer. - Elizabeth FRED (1829-1914), an American educator and suffragist. - Sir Henry FRED (1863-1949), a British admiral and First Sea Lord. - Walter FRED (1895-1976), an American baseball player and manager.

While the FRED surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Frede, Fredd, and Fredde, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon word for "peace" and its early roots in northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fred families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fred 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 7 Freds recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.23x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 7 4.23x
Yorkshire 4 2.44x
Surrey 3 3.72x
Lanarkshire 2 3.73x
Kent 1 1.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 3 Freds recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.99x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 3 84.99x
Glasgow 2 21.03x
Limehouse London 2 109.89x
Whitechapel London 2 122.70x
Armthorpe 1 5000.00x
Bermondsey 1 20.28x
Brightside Bierlow 1 31.06x
Holy Trinity 1 25.32x
Lambeth 1 6.93x
Leeds 1 10.79x
Preston Next Faversham 1 769.23x
Streatham 1 81.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 2
Mary 2
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 1
Charles 1
George 1
Grandson 1
Isaah 1
John 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Fred households.

FAQ

Fred surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fred surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Fred surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fred surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016. That gives Fred a modern rank of #21,383.

What does the Fred surname mean?

Derived from the Old English name "Frēderic" meaning "peaceful ruler".

What does the Fred map show?

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