NameCensus.

UK surname

Freer

An occupational surname for someone who made or repaired saddles, from the Old French "fretier" meaning saddler.

In the 1881 census there were 1,669 people recorded with the Freer surname, ranking it #2,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,164, ranked #2,989, down from #2,575 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures), Arnesby and Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Harborough and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Freer is 2,330 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.7%.

1881 census count

1,669

Ranked #2,575

Modern count

2,164

2016, ranked #2,989

Peak year

1999

2,330 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Freer had 1,669 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,575 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,164 in 2016, ranked #2,989.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,092 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Freer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Freer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Freer 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 1,038 #2,700
1861 historical 776 #3,550
1881 historical 1,669 #2,575
1891 historical 1,736 #2,620
1901 historical 2,092 #2,562
1911 historical 2,087 #2,397
1997 modern 2,294 #2,712
1998 modern 2,325 #2,777
1999 modern 2,330 #2,795
2000 modern 2,305 #2,798
2001 modern 2,251 #2,807
2002 modern 2,292 #2,824
2003 modern 2,264 #2,788
2004 modern 2,274 #2,773
2005 modern 2,190 #2,850
2006 modern 2,175 #2,864
2007 modern 2,182 #2,875
2008 modern 2,181 #2,902
2009 modern 2,259 #2,882
2010 modern 2,311 #2,883
2011 modern 2,272 #2,890
2012 modern 2,226 #2,891
2013 modern 2,243 #2,916
2014 modern 2,238 #2,934
2015 modern 2,199 #2,953
2016 modern 2,164 #2,989

Geography

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Where Freers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures), Arnesby, Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Syston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Harborough, Charnwood and Blaby. 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 Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures) Leicestershire
2 Arnesby Leicestershire
3 Barrow-on-Soar (Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell), Beaumanor, Roth Leicestershire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Syston Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
2 Harborough 003 Harborough
3 Charnwood 018 Charnwood
4 Blaby 010 Blaby
5 Harborough 007 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Freer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Freer

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Freer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Freer 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Freer 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

Freer is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Freer 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 Freer 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 Freer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Freer

The surname FREER is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "freo," meaning "free" or "freeman." This suggests that the name may have originally been given as a descriptive name to someone who was not bound to the feudal system or owned their own land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John le Frere is mentioned in Oxfordshire. The spelling variations during this time included Frere, Fryer, and Fryer. These variants likely emerged due to the interchange of the letters "e" and "y" in Middle English.

The FREER surname is also associated with various place names in England, such as Frere in Norfolk and Fryers Court in Oxfordshire. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname in their respective regions.

Notable individuals with the surname FREER include Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), an American industrialist and art collector whose extensive collection formed the basis for the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Another prominent figure was Martha Walker Freer (1822-1888), an American missionary and educator who established schools for girls in India.

In the literary world, Marguerite Freer (1887-1968) was a British novelist and playwright known for her works set in the Middle East. Edward Freer (1880-1964) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the FREER surname can be traced back to the Pipe Rolls of 1176, which mention a Ralph le Frere in Oxfordshire. This further solidifies the name's origins in medieval England.

While the FREER surname may have started as a descriptive name for individuals who were "free" from feudal obligations, it eventually became a hereditary surname passed down through generations, with various spellings and associations emerging over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Freer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Freer 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. Leicestershire leads with 543 Freers recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.35x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 543 30.35x
Yorkshire 269 1.68x
Northamptonshire 101 6.66x
Warwickshire 97 2.38x
Lanarkshire 69 1.32x
Middlesex 59 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 55 2.53x
Surrey 47 0.60x
Lincolnshire 46 1.78x
Devon 32 0.95x
Derbyshire 30 1.19x
Kent 28 0.51x
Durham 27 0.56x
Lancashire 27 0.14x
Worcestershire 27 1.28x
Hampshire 23 0.70x
Staffordshire 22 0.40x
Cambridgeshire 15 1.47x
Peeblesshire 11 14.49x
Roxburghshire 10 3.42x
Sussex 10 0.37x
Denbighshire 9 1.48x
Monmouthshire 9 0.77x
Rutland 9 7.60x
Herefordshire 8 1.21x
Essex 7 0.22x
Gloucestershire 7 0.22x
Isle of Man 7 2.34x
Cheshire 6 0.17x
Westmorland 6 1.69x
Renfrewshire 5 0.40x
Glamorgan 4 0.14x
Berkshire 3 0.25x
Hertfordshire 3 0.27x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.94x
Midlothian 3 0.14x
Argyllshire 2 0.45x
Bedfordshire 2 0.24x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.56x
Oxfordshire 2 0.20x
Shropshire 2 0.14x
Somerset 2 0.08x
Ayrshire 1 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.09x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.52x
Selkirkshire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 125 Freers recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.65x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 125 28.65x
Birmingham 58 4.28x
Leicester St Mary 51 35.29x
Govan 37 2.87x
Arnesby 28 1196.58x
Tadcaster West 25 197.47x
Hinckley 23 54.21x
Syston 21 125.37x
Fimber 20 2020.20x
Barrow Upon Soar 19 128.64x
Stretton Parva 19 4130.43x
Barony 17 1.29x
Desborough 17 149.12x
Darlington 16 8.63x
Leicester All Sts 16 45.55x
Aston 15 1.34x
Great Easton 15 503.36x
Little Weldon 15 597.61x
Sileby 15 132.98x
Rothley 14 240.55x
Bradford 13 3.36x
Leicester Black Friars 13 111.68x
Rillington 13 268.04x
Scarborough 13 8.95x
Skegby 13 97.60x
Barton Le Willows 12 839.16x
Chelsea London 12 2.47x
Fleckney 12 282.35x
Great Grimsby 12 7.33x
Lambeth 12 0.85x
Leicester St Leonard 12 70.88x
Helmington Row 11 49.20x
Hallaton 10 251.89x
Kensington London 10 1.11x
Kettering 10 16.29x
Northfleet 10 20.62x
Paignton 10 39.14x
Portsea 10 1.54x
Radford 10 9.05x
Southcoates 10 11.27x
Whittington 10 28.61x
Enderby 9 97.19x
Ruabon 9 10.74x
Tormoham 9 6.33x
Ampleforth Birdforth 8 792.08x
Cold Newton 8 784.31x
Flintham 8 380.95x
Ganthorpe 8 1176.47x
Stoke Albany 8 449.44x
Sutton 8 94.45x
Wigston Magna 8 33.71x
Wilby 8 353.98x
Askham Richard 7 542.64x
Battersea 7 1.18x
Belgrave 7 17.34x
Bingley 7 6.87x
Blaby 7 97.22x
Brawby 7 729.17x
Brixham 7 17.99x
Cambusnethan 7 6.04x
Clee With Weelsby 7 12.39x
Gretton 7 151.84x
Hawick 7 10.70x
Holdenhurst 7 8.07x
Houghton On The Hill 7 305.68x
Kegworth 7 58.87x
Lower Llanvrechva 7 61.14x
Manningham 7 3.55x
Reigate Foreign 7 8.22x
Sculcoates 7 2.76x
Stourbridge 7 12.91x
Upperswinford 7 39.26x
Uppingham 7 49.58x
Woodford 7 82.94x
York St Saviour 7 45.84x
Burton Upon Trent 6 4.71x
Holy Trinity 6 1.56x
New Malton 6 31.40x
Peebles 6 26.75x
Tranmere 6 4.58x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 108
John 107
Thomas 67
George 59
James 29
Henry 27
Charles 26
Arthur 21
Joseph 21
Samuel 21
Richard 20
Alfred 18
Edward 16
Harry 16
Robert 13
Albert 12
Walter 11
Frederick 10
Tom 10
Edwin 8
Isaac 7
Benjamin 6
David 6
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Thos. 5
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Wm. 4
Amos 3
Daniel 3
Howard 3
Job 3
Reuben 3
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
Ezra 2
Fredk. 2
Harold 2
Mahlon 2
Percy 2
Saml. 2
Stephen 2
Willie 2
Ambrose 1
Butler 1
Cecil 1
Elisher 1
Ernust 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Freer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Freer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,669 people were recorded with the Freer surname. That placed it at #2,575 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Freer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,164 in 2016. That gives Freer a modern rank of #2,989.

What does the Freer surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who made or repaired saddles, from the Old French "fretier" meaning saddler.

What does the Freer map show?

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