NameCensus.

UK surname

Frederick

Derived from a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler," composed of the elements "frid" (peace) and "ric" (ruler).

In the 1881 census there were 277 people recorded with the Frederick surname, ranking it #10,283 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,063, ranked #5,492, up from #10,283 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St George in the East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Leeds and Sevenoaks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frederick is 1,099 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 283.8%.

1881 census count

277

Ranked #10,283

Modern count

1,063

2016, ranked #5,492

Peak year

2010

1,099 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frederick had 277 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,283 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,063 in 2016, ranked #5,492.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 728 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Frederick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Frederick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Frederick 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 287 #7,909
1861 historical 728 #3,738
1881 historical 277 #10,283
1891 historical 569 #6,680
1901 historical 420 #9,169
1911 historical 529 #7,509
1997 modern 897 #5,978
1998 modern 922 #6,039
1999 modern 934 #6,030
2000 modern 930 #6,033
2001 modern 895 #6,112
2002 modern 935 #6,014
2003 modern 929 #5,939
2004 modern 936 #5,907
2005 modern 951 #5,774
2006 modern 937 #5,858
2007 modern 961 #5,790
2008 modern 974 #5,766
2009 modern 1,044 #5,585
2010 modern 1,099 #5,441
2011 modern 1,054 #5,570
2012 modern 1,002 #5,725
2013 modern 1,045 #5,637
2014 modern 1,050 #5,624
2015 modern 1,052 #5,563
2016 modern 1,063 #5,492

Geography

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Where Fredericks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St George in the East, London parishes, Rochester and Llandaff (incl. Canton), Leckwith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Leeds, Sevenoaks, Brent and Wellingborough. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 Rochester Kent
5 Llandaff (incl. Canton), Leckwith Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 018 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Leeds 042 Leeds
3 Sevenoaks 015 Sevenoaks
4 Brent 032 Brent
5 Wellingborough 002 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Frederick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Frederick

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Frederick is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Frederick 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

Frederick falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Frederick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
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 Frederick, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Frederick

The surname FREDERICK traces its origins to medieval Germany, where it first emerged in the 8th or 9th century. It is derived from the Old High German name "Friderich," which means "peaceful ruler" or "rich in peace." This name was composed of the elements "frid" (peace) and "rih" (ruler or powerful).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname FREDERICK appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholders and their properties commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. In this document, the name is spelled as "Frederic."

The surname FREDERICK gained widespread recognition and popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in the Holy Roman Empire, where several influential figures bore this name. One notable example is Frederick I (known as Frederick Barbarossa, c. 1122-1190), who was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death.

Another prominent historical figure with the surname FREDERICK was Frederick II (1194-1250), the King of Sicily and later the Holy Roman Emperor. He was renowned for his patronage of the arts and sciences, and his court in Palermo was a center of learning and culture.

In England, the surname FREDERICK can be traced back to the Norman Conquest, when it was likely introduced by Norman settlers. One early recorded instance is William Frederick, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1196.

During the Renaissance and Reformation periods, the surname FREDERICK continued to be associated with notable figures. Among them was Frederick III (1415-1493), the Elector of Saxony, who played a crucial role in the Reformation by protecting Martin Luther and allowing the spread of Protestant teachings.

In the arts, the surname FREDERICK is linked to the British landscape painter John Frederick Lewis (1805-1876), who was renowned for his depictions of Middle Eastern scenes and is considered one of the leading Orientalist painters of his time.

Other notable individuals with the surname FREDERICK include the German philosopher and writer Frederick Nietzsche (1844-1900), the American inventor and businessman Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), known for his contributions to scientific management, and the British explorer and naturalist Frederick Courteney Selous (1851-1917), who was renowned for his travels in Africa.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Frederick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frederick 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. Glamorgan leads with 38 Fredericks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.96x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 38 7.96x
Middlesex 35 1.28x
Kent 31 3.31x
Devon 25 4.38x
Lancashire 21 0.65x
Worcestershire 15 4.19x
Staffordshire 13 1.40x
Surrey 13 0.97x
Monmouthshire 11 5.55x
Norfolk 11 2.61x
Renfrewshire 10 4.71x
Lanarkshire 7 0.79x
Royal Navy 5 15.30x
Yorkshire 5 0.18x
Midlothian 4 1.09x
Wigtownshire 4 10.99x
Cornwall 3 0.97x
Derbyshire 3 0.70x
Gloucestershire 3 0.56x
Hampshire 3 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.81x
Ross-shire 3 3.99x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.79x
Durham 2 0.25x
Hertfordshire 2 1.06x
Angus 1 0.39x
Channel Islands 1 1.23x
Cheshire 1 0.17x
Essex 1 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.84x
Northumberland 1 0.25x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.15x
Somerset 1 0.23x
Warwickshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tormoham in Devon leads with 12 Fredericks recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.71x.

Place Total Index
Tormoham 12 49.71x
Llandaff 11 69.27x
Rochester St Margaret 11 111.56x
Toxteth Park 11 9.99x
Wolverhampton 11 15.46x
East Greenock 10 49.85x
Great Yarmouth 9 25.78x
Merthyr Tydfil 9 19.62x
Frindsbury 8 227.27x
Kidderminster Borough 8 38.19x
Clerkenwell London 7 10.82x
Dudley 7 16.08x
St Woollos 7 31.66x
Penlline 6 2068.97x
Horley 5 223.21x
Roath 5 23.06x
Shoreditch London 5 4.21x
Westminster St John 5 14.98x
Barony 4 1.78x
Barrow In Furness 4 9.04x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 53.91x
Exminster 4 195.12x
Kensington London 4 2.62x
Newton Abbot St Mary 4 83.51x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 4 41.24x
Royal Navy 4 14.33x
St George In East London 4 15.52x
Chapel En Le Frith 3 76.53x
Greenwich 3 6.87x
Logie Easter 3 379.75x
Nuthall 3 215.83x
Stoneykirk 3 115.38x
Atherington 2 408.16x
Bedwellty 2 5.72x
Camborne 2 15.64x
Cardiff St Mary 2 7.61x
Chatham 2 7.77x
Edinburgh St Marys 2 28.01x
Eglwysilan 2 24.15x
Glasgow 2 1.27x
Inveresk 2 20.12x
Lambeth 2 0.84x
Manchester 2 1.37x
Newport 2 21.16x
Sawbridgeworth 2 69.93x
Sutton 2 20.70x
Woolwich 2 5.79x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.89x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.11x
Bishop Auckland 1 9.14x
Bromley London 1 1.66x
Burnley 1 3.65x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.94x
Cobham 1 45.66x
Colchester Holy Trinity 1 83.33x
Coventry St Michael 1 4.50x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 17.18x
Garston 1 10.42x
Hammersmith London 1 1.48x
Limehouse London 1 3.32x
Lydd 1 50.00x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 8.66x
Norwich St Lawrence 1 172.41x
Old Luce 1 43.48x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.28x
Reigate Foreign 1 6.92x
Settle 1 48.08x
Southampton St Michael 1 54.05x
St George Bloomsbury 1 6.36x
St Marylebone London 1 0.68x
St Pancras London 1 0.45x
Steep 1 178.57x
Stoke Damerel 1 2.50x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.68x
Swansea St Thomas 1 20.88x
Walsall Foreign 1 2.09x
Wandsworth 1 3.79x
Westoe 1 2.16x
Ystradyfodwg 1 2.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Ann 7
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 7
Sarah 6
Charlotte 4
Emily 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Emma 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Bessie 2
Catherine 2
Hannah 2
Maria 2
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eideth 1
Elenor 1
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Grace 1
Gracie 1
Gwen 1
Jane 1
Jennet 1
Julia 1
Julienne 1
Katherina 1
Lina 1
Lizzie 1
Mahala 1
Margeret 1
Olive 1
Phoebe 1
Rosehannah 1
Rosetta 1
Rosina 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 14
George 13
Thomas 12
Charles 10
Arthur 5
James 5
Albert 4
Henry 4
Herbert 3
Theophilus 3
David 2
Ernest 2
Frances 2
Geo. 2
Leonard 2
Louis 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Chas.Louis 1
Christian 1
Daniel 1
Daniell 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ferdinand 1
Frank 1
Fray 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Goodwin 1
Harry 1
Heinrich 1
Henrich 1
Horner 1
Ignaitius 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Leslie 1
Moss 1
Percy 1
Pidcock 1
Richard 1
Stephen 1
W. 1
Zinetti 1

FAQ

Frederick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frederick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 277 people were recorded with the Frederick surname. That placed it at #10,283 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frederick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,063 in 2016. That gives Frederick a modern rank of #5,492.

What does the Frederick surname mean?

Derived from a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler," composed of the elements "frid" (peace) and "ric" (ruler).

What does the Frederick map show?

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