NameCensus.

UK surname

Friar

A surname derived from the Old French word "frere," meaning "brother," referring to a member of a religious order.

In the 1881 census there were 462 people recorded with the Friar surname, ranking it #7,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 710, ranked #7,628, down from #7,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Moldash. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Friar is 729 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.7%.

1881 census count

462

Ranked #7,183

Modern count

710

2016, ranked #7,628

Peak year

1999

729 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Friar had 462 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 710 in 2016, ranked #7,628.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 518 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Friar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Friar surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Friar 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 293 #7,783
1861 historical 300 #8,432
1881 historical 462 #7,183
1891 historical 439 #8,224
1901 historical 437 #8,894
1911 historical 518 #7,624
1997 modern 693 #7,306
1998 modern 722 #7,299
1999 modern 729 #7,299
2000 modern 717 #7,374
2001 modern 704 #7,337
2002 modern 702 #7,492
2003 modern 705 #7,345
2004 modern 708 #7,330
2005 modern 662 #7,674
2006 modern 668 #7,637
2007 modern 674 #7,666
2008 modern 696 #7,521
2009 modern 709 #7,568
2010 modern 714 #7,661
2011 modern 681 #7,852
2012 modern 681 #7,786
2013 modern 708 #7,662
2014 modern 712 #7,670
2015 modern 713 #7,614
2016 modern 710 #7,628

Geography

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Where Friars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Moldash and Berwick-on-Tweed. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens and Northumberland. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Moldash Kent
4 Berwick-on-Tweed Northumberland
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 008 St. Helens
5 Northumberland 003 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Friar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Friar

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Friar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Friar 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 predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Friar 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

Friar is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Friar falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Friar 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 Friar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Friar

The surname Friar originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Middle English "frere," meaning a friar or a member of a mendicant religious order. The name was likely given to someone who had been a friar or who lived near a friary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentioned a Richard le Frere in Oxfordshire. The Freres family was also mentioned in the 13th-century Cartulary of Oseney Abbey in Oxford.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared as "Frere" in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which listed a John Frere. The Friar surname is thought to have emerged from this earlier spelling.

The Friars were a prominent family in Dorset, England, in the 16th and 17th centuries. Notable members included William Friar (1529-1594), a wealthy merchant and landowner, and his son, Sir John Friar (1572-1644), who was knighted by King James I.

Another notable Friar was Robert Friar (1620-1676), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "Practical Discourses upon the Lord's Prayer" (1672).

In the 18th century, the Friar surname was found in various parts of England, including London, where John Friar (1712-1783) was a successful merchant and investor.

During the 19th century, the Friar family had a strong presence in the East Anglian region of England. One notable member was James Friar (1824-1899), a prolific writer and journalist who contributed to several publications, including the Norfolk News.

Other notable Friars throughout history include William Friar (1875-1945), a British artist and illustrator known for his paintings of rural life, and Stanley Friar (1920-2001), an American actor and playwright who appeared in several Broadway productions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Friar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Friar 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. Lancashire leads with 134 Friars recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.53x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 134 2.53x
Kent 74 4.87x
Surrey 31 1.43x
Middlesex 30 0.67x
Lanarkshire 29 2.01x
Northumberland 22 3.32x
Yorkshire 14 0.32x
Staffordshire 13 0.86x
Worcestershire 13 2.23x
Cheshire 12 1.22x
Derbyshire 12 1.72x
Sussex 12 1.60x
Durham 10 0.75x
Gloucestershire 8 0.92x
Buckinghamshire 7 2.60x
Cumberland 4 1.04x
Warwickshire 4 0.36x
Wiltshire 4 1.01x
Ayrshire 3 0.90x
Berwickshire 3 5.56x
Hampshire 2 0.22x
Leicestershire 2 0.40x
Lincolnshire 2 0.28x
Norfolk 2 0.29x
Suffolk 2 0.37x
Argyllshire 1 0.81x
Denbighshire 1 0.59x
Essex 1 0.11x
Hertfordshire 1 0.33x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.13x
Midlothian 1 0.17x
Shropshire 1 0.26x
Stirlingshire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eccleston In Prescot in Lancashire leads with 53 Friars recorded in 1881 and an index of 199.55x.

Place Total Index
Eccleston In Prescot 53 199.55x
Parr 27 142.71x
Windle 17 57.12x
Govan 13 3.65x
Rotherhithe 13 23.60x
Berwick Upon Tweed 12 85.41x
Alvechurch 10 403.23x
St Pancras London 10 2.79x
Sutton 10 56.37x
Camberwell 9 3.16x
Sheldwich 9 927.84x
Wye 9 382.98x
Faversham 8 55.17x
Huntington 8 4444.44x
Old Monkland 8 13.98x
Gorbals 7 81.78x
Hove 7 21.23x
Poplar London 7 8.32x
West Bromwich 7 8.13x
Codnor Loscoe 6 108.50x
Derby St Werburgh 6 14.89x
Gillingham 6 19.13x
Huddersfield 6 9.32x
St Giles 6 72.46x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 6.07x
Chatham 5 11.95x
Doddington 5 568.18x
Fordwich 5 1428.57x
Hampstead London 5 7.20x
Lambeth 5 1.29x
Westbere 5 1351.35x
Burnham 4 116.62x
Castleton 4 7.57x
Duddo 4 1428.57x
Godmersham 4 727.27x
Swindon 4 13.08x
Tweedmouth 4 48.37x
West Derby 4 2.58x
Arlecdon 3 29.38x
Aston 3 0.97x
Billinge Chapel End 3 101.01x
Dunse 3 58.59x
Irvine 3 32.36x
Knottingley 3 38.66x
Leeds 3 1.20x
Lymm 3 41.96x
Ogley Hay 3 96.15x
Ashton In Makerfield 2 13.28x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 1.73x
Bridge 2 152.67x
Burwash 2 57.31x
Colton 2 512.82x
Gateshead 2 2.01x
Gorton 2 4.02x
Ipswich St Peter 2 27.36x
Leaveland 2 1000.00x
Liverpool 2 0.62x
Molash 2 392.16x
Preston Next Faversham 2 55.87x
Ramsgate 2 8.05x
Sandhurst 2 111.73x
Stockton On Tees 2 3.13x
Tonbridge 2 3.65x
Westmeston 2 400.00x
Westminster St John 2 3.68x
Westminster St Margaret 2 9.30x
Wraysbury 2 198.02x
Barnsley 1 2.19x
Brighton 1 0.66x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 3.43x
Canterbury St Mildred 1 27.70x
Deeping St James 1 39.68x
Denton 1 8.53x
Edgbaston 1 2.87x
Godalming 1 7.32x
Layton With Warbreck 1 5.15x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 2.52x
Penge 1 3.51x
Sculcoates 1 1.43x
Tonge With Haulgh 1 9.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 17
Ann 12
Ellen 12
Emma 9
Jane 9
Annie 7
Edith 7
Hannah 6
Margaret 6
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Harriett 5
Louisa 5
Alice 4
Harriet 4
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Elisabeth 2
Elizth. 2
Frances 2
Francis 2
Isabella 2
Minnie 2
Rosa 2
Betty 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Constance 1
Dinah 1
Esther 1
Eunice 1
Hariet 1
Jannet 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lousia 1
Mar 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Waltor 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 23
John 21
William 18
George 16
James 11
Joseph 10
Richard 10
Henry 9
Edward 7
Robert 7
Arthur 6
Samuel 4
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Moses 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Peter 2
Albert 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Enoch 1
Enos 1
Francis 1
Fred.W. 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Jno.J.G. 1
Jno.Richd. 1
Josep 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
Nelson 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Selby 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Friar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Friar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 462 people were recorded with the Friar surname. That placed it at #7,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Friar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 710 in 2016. That gives Friar a modern rank of #7,628.

What does the Friar surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "frere," meaning "brother," referring to a member of a religious order.

What does the Friar map show?

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