NameCensus.

UK surname

Freshwater

A surname derived from someone living near a freshwater source such as a stream or lake.

In the 1881 census there were 674 people recorded with the Freshwater surname, ranking it #5,347 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 608, ranked #8,623, down from #5,347 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Aylesbury Vale, Epping Forest and Badenoch and Strathspey South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Freshwater is 854 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.8%.

1881 census count

674

Ranked #5,347

Modern count

608

2016, ranked #8,623

Peak year

1911

854 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Freshwater had 674 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,347 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 608 in 2016, ranked #8,623.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 854 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Freshwater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Freshwater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Freshwater 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 394 #6,105
1861 historical 418 #6,146
1881 historical 674 #5,347
1891 historical 698 #5,614
1901 historical 810 #5,571
1911 historical 854 #5,191
1997 modern 690 #7,329
1998 modern 696 #7,505
1999 modern 711 #7,428
2000 modern 687 #7,597
2001 modern 661 #7,692
2002 modern 668 #7,785
2003 modern 657 #7,778
2004 modern 652 #7,813
2005 modern 627 #7,994
2006 modern 610 #8,182
2007 modern 618 #8,174
2008 modern 626 #8,140
2009 modern 630 #8,271
2010 modern 652 #8,224
2011 modern 647 #8,183
2012 modern 637 #8,192
2013 modern 635 #8,356
2014 modern 629 #8,473
2015 modern 611 #8,619
2016 modern 608 #8,623

Geography

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Where Freshwaters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Aylesbury Vale, Epping Forest, Badenoch and Strathspey South, Fenland and Bedford. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Aylesbury Vale 005 Aylesbury Vale
2 Epping Forest 006 Epping Forest
3 Badenoch and Strathspey South Highland
4 Fenland 006 Fenland
5 Bedford 003 Bedford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Freshwater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Freshwater

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Freshwater, 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 Freshwater surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Freshwater 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Freshwater is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Freshwater 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

Freshwater falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Freshwater 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Freshwater

The surname Freshwater is of English origin and derives from a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a freshwater source, such as a stream or a spring. It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century.

Freshwater was initially used as a descriptive term or a nickname before becoming a hereditary surname. The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1273, when a John de Fresshewater was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the spelling included Fresshewater, Freschewater, and Fressewatere. These variations reflect the regional dialects and the evolution of the English language over time.

The Freshwater surname was particularly prevalent in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas, where many early bearers of the name lived near freshwater sources. Some notable early examples include Robert de Freschewater, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292, and Richard de Fresshewater, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Freshwater surname was Sir William Freshwater, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1492). He served as the Sheriff of London in 1469 and was a member of the English Parliament.

Another notable figure was Thomas Freshwater (c. 1590-1666), an English clergyman and mathematician who wrote several works on mathematics and astronomy. He served as the Rector of Overton in Hampshire and was a fellow of the Royal Society.

In the 17th century, Edward Freshwater (c. 1620-1685) was a prominent English merchant and landowner who held estates in Somerset. He was also involved in the local government and served as a Justice of the Peace.

John Freshwater (1727-1805) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He achieved the rank of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy.

Samuel Freshwater (1806-1870) was a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of the steam engine and other industrial machinery during the Industrial Revolution.

While the Freshwater surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and colonial expansion. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above highlight the surname's English roots and its early prevalence in certain regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Freshwater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Freshwater 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 231 Freshwaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.50x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 231 3.50x
Surrey 108 3.36x
Essex 103 7.91x
Kent 68 3.02x
Bedfordshire 28 8.20x
Yorkshire 25 0.38x
Hertfordshire 20 4.40x
Warwickshire 16 0.96x
Huntingdonshire 11 8.40x
Leicestershire 9 1.23x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.92x
Lanarkshire 6 0.28x
Lancashire 6 0.08x
Norfolk 6 0.59x
Northamptonshire 6 0.97x
Durham 3 0.15x
Gloucestershire 3 0.23x
Hampshire 3 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.50x
Cheshire 2 0.14x
Northumberland 2 0.20x
Royal Navy 2 2.55x
Staffordshire 2 0.09x
Suffolk 2 0.25x
Berkshire 1 0.20x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.18x
Sussex 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 55 Freshwaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.36x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 55 10.36x
Islington London 27 4.22x
Camberwell 26 6.17x
Lambeth 23 4.00x
Greenwich 21 20.01x
Hackney London 19 5.14x
Bedford St Paul 16 68.32x
Chigwell 16 130.19x
Enfield 16 36.98x
Aston 14 3.06x
Battersea 14 5.77x
Bethnal Green London 14 4.89x
Bow London 14 16.68x
Deptford St Paul 14 8.07x
Bermondsey 13 6.62x
Deptford St Nicholas 13 72.83x
Stanford Rivers 13 590.91x
West Ham 12 4.18x
Spitalfields London 11 22.18x
Swillington 11 591.40x
Hanwell 10 85.54x
Morley 10 29.44x
Theydon Garnon 9 303.03x
Theydon Mount 9 2727.27x
Great Bowden 8 120.30x
Kingston On Thames 8 10.37x
Stapleford Tawney 8 1600.00x
Twickenham 8 28.30x
Wandsworth 8 12.60x
Welwyn 8 203.05x
Bedford St Mary 7 79.64x
Buttsbury 7 686.27x
Gravesend 7 36.75x
St Albans St Peter 7 45.63x
St Andrewthe Less 7 14.67x
Erith 6 27.06x
Glasgow 6 1.58x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 6 91.19x
Rotherhithe 6 7.36x
St George Hanover Square 6 5.16x
St Neots 6 84.27x
Walthamstow 6 12.81x
Wimbledon 6 16.63x
Bromley London 5 3.45x
Hammersmith London 5 3.08x
Hulme 5 3.06x
Poplar London 5 4.02x
Milton In Gravesend 4 11.86x
South Hanningfield 4 754.72x
St Luke London 4 3.78x
Acton 3 7.76x
Blackmore 3 232.56x
Chelsea London 3 1.51x
Eynesbury 3 99.01x
Friern Barnet 3 20.65x
Northampton St Sepulchre 3 9.51x
Shoreditch London 3 1.05x
St Dunstan In West London 3 145.63x
St Marylebone London 3 0.85x
Stapleford Abbots 3 270.27x
West Ardsley 3 38.17x
Bennington 2 153.85x
Cardington 2 71.94x
Dagenham 2 25.81x
Eaton Socon 2 37.31x
Fulham London 2 2.09x
Leamington Priors 2 4.89x
Little Paxton 2 317.46x
Marple 2 20.02x
Paddington London 2 0.82x
Peterborough 2 4.45x
Royal Navy 2 2.98x
South Shields 2 11.44x
Stony Stratford West 2 72.99x
Waltham Holy Cross 2 16.43x
Adderley 1 102.04x
Bristol St Augustine 1 4.79x
Cheltenham 1 1.00x
Grantchester 1 38.46x
Manchester 1 0.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Sarah 22
Alice 20
Eliza 14
Elizabeth 13
Annie 12
Ellen 12
Matilda 11
Ann 10
Florence 10
Jane 10
Emma 9
Maria 9
Ada 8
Charlotte 7
Margaret 6
Catherine 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Julia 5
Louisa 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Clara 4
Edith 4
Esther 4
Harriet 4
Martha 4
Sophia 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Isabella 3
Jessie 3
Maud 3
Rhoda 3
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Elisabeth 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Laura 2
Minnie 2
Panema 2
Rosanna 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Eva 1
Flor. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 29
William 28
George 27
Henry 23
James 20
Alfred 15
Thomas 12
Arthur 11
Frederick 11
Joseph 11
Charles 10
Edward 10
Herbert 9
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Frank 5
Wm. 5
Albert 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Harry 4
Isaac 4
David 3
Richard 3
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Jesse 2
Nathan 2
Alex 1
Alred 1
Amos 1
Augustus 1
Benjaman 1
Benjamin 1
Bruce 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Enoch 1
F.Wm. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Hy. 1
Issac 1
J. 1
Jabus 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Levy 1
Lewis 1

FAQ

Freshwater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Freshwater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 674 people were recorded with the Freshwater surname. That placed it at #5,347 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Freshwater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 608 in 2016. That gives Freshwater a modern rank of #8,623.

What does the Freshwater surname mean?

A surname derived from someone living near a freshwater source such as a stream or lake.

What does the Freshwater map show?

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