NameCensus.

UK surname

Frend

An English surname derived from the Old English word "freond" meaning friend or relative.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Frend surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poole St James, Gateshead and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, Bournemouth and Blackpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frend is 189 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

1891

189 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frend had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Frend surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Frend surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Frend 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 164 #16,879
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 149 #21,568
2002 modern 158 #21,178
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 143 #22,471
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 154 #23,082
2011 modern 152 #23,101
2012 modern 153 #22,963
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Frends are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poole St James, Gateshead, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Canford Magna and St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Staffordshire, Bournemouth, Blackpool, Poole and Purbeck. 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 Poole St James Dorset
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 Canford Magna Dorset
5 St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Staffordshire 015 East Staffordshire
2 Bournemouth 005 Bournemouth
3 Blackpool 017 Blackpool
4 Poole 008 Poole
5 Purbeck 002 Purbeck

Forenames

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First names often paired with Frend

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Frend

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Frend surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Frend household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Frend 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

Frend is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Frend falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Frend is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Frend

The surname FREND is of Anglo-Saxon origin, traced back to the Middle Ages in England. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "frend," which means "friend" or "relative." The earliest known records of this surname date back to the 12th century.

In the Domesday Book, which was a comprehensive survey of England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may refer to individuals with the surname FREND or variations of it. One such entry is "Frendus de Lincolnescyr," which suggests that the name was present in Lincolnshire.

The name FREND was also found in various medieval documents and records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, which mentions a "William Frende." In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Frende" and "Frend" in various legal and ecclesiastical records across various counties in England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname FREND was John Frend, who was born in Somerset, England, in 1572. He was a notable English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Robert Frend, an English historian and author who lived from 1924 to 2012. He was known for his works on early Christianity and the history of the Roman Empire.

In the 16th century, the name FREND was also found in the records of the Visitation of Oxfordshire in 1634, which mentions a family with the coat of arms "Argent, a chevron between three mascles sable."

William Frend, born in 1757 in Canterbury, England, was a notable mathematician and a fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a prominent advocate for religious and political reform during the late 18th century.

John Frend, born in 1666 in Boxted, Essex, was a notable English churchman and author who wrote several works on theology and church history.

Elizabeth Frend, born in 1604 in Kent, England, was a notable diarist whose writings provide insights into the daily life and customs of the 17th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Frend families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frend 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. Kent leads with 37 Frends recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.44x.

County Total Index
Kent 37 14.44x
Surrey 9 2.46x
Middlesex 7 0.93x
Gloucestershire 5 3.39x
Staffordshire 5 1.97x
Norfolk 3 2.60x
Berkshire 2 3.55x
Durham 2 0.90x
Hampshire 2 1.30x
Dorset 1 2.03x
Essex 1 0.67x
Oxfordshire 1 2.16x
Royal Navy 1 11.17x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitstable in Kent leads with 16 Frends recorded in 1881 and an index of 1269.84x.

Place Total Index
Whitstable 16 1269.84x
East Cliffe 6 8571.43x
Wolverhampton 5 25.65x
Worplesdon 4 909.09x
Chatham 3 42.55x
Great Yarmouth 3 31.35x
Hackney London 3 7.12x
Putney 3 87.72x
St Margarets At Cliffe 3 2000.00x
Westbury On Trym 3 60.12x
Beech Hill 2 2857.14x
Cheltenham 2 17.61x
Sevenoaks 2 96.15x
Camberwell 1 2.08x
Cliffe 1 172.41x
Corringham 1 909.09x
Crook Billy Row 1 34.97x
Dover Castle 1 526.32x
Folkestone 1 20.12x
Hampstead London 1 8.55x
Hawthorn 1 1428.57x
Henley On Thames 1 105.26x
Hound 1 96.15x
Kensington London 1 2.39x
Lewisham 1 7.32x
Maidstone 1 13.11x
Parkstone 1 172.41x
Reigate Foreign 1 25.25x
Rochester St Margaret 1 37.04x
Royal Navy 1 13.07x
Scarborough 1 14.79x
Southampton All Sts 1 37.88x
St Pancras London 1 1.65x
Westminster St James 1 12.95x
Wittersham 1 434.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 4
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Harriett 2
Louisa 2
Rachel 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Arabella 1
Beatrice 1
Delelia 1
Delia 1
Edith 1
Ester 1
Georgina 1
Henrietta 1
Letitia 1
Lusia 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 5
William 5
Charles 3
John 3
Richard 3
Alexander 2
A. 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Ben 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henage 1
James 1
Jos. 1
Matthew 1
Theophilus 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Frend surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frend surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Frend surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frend surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Frend a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Frend surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "freond" meaning friend or relative.

What does the Frend map show?

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