NameCensus.

UK surname

Fricker

A surname of German origin referring to a cheerful or lively person.

In the 1881 census there were 993 people recorded with the Fricker surname, ranking it #3,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,330, ranked #4,520, down from #3,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, North Dorset and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fricker is 1,434 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.9%.

1881 census count

993

Ranked #3,926

Modern count

1,330

2016, ranked #4,520

Peak year

1998

1,434 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fricker had 993 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,330 in 2016, ranked #4,520.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,371 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fricker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fricker surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fricker 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 652 #3,985
1861 historical 687 #3,920
1881 historical 993 #3,926
1891 historical 1,003 #4,135
1901 historical 1,283 #3,880
1911 historical 1,371 #3,507
1997 modern 1,364 #4,218
1998 modern 1,434 #4,200
1999 modern 1,420 #4,255
2000 modern 1,411 #4,260
2001 modern 1,386 #4,251
2002 modern 1,420 #4,244
2003 modern 1,376 #4,280
2004 modern 1,355 #4,338
2005 modern 1,282 #4,488
2006 modern 1,284 #4,487
2007 modern 1,293 #4,505
2008 modern 1,312 #4,478
2009 modern 1,332 #4,513
2010 modern 1,324 #4,621
2011 modern 1,320 #4,574
2012 modern 1,281 #4,634
2013 modern 1,340 #4,524
2014 modern 1,343 #4,538
2015 modern 1,337 #4,518
2016 modern 1,330 #4,520

Geography

Back to top

Where Frickers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Kingston-on-Thames. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, North Dorset, Mendip and Milton Keynes. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 050 Wiltshire
2 North Dorset 002 North Dorset
3 Mendip 001 Mendip
4 Wiltshire 033 Wiltshire
5 Milton Keynes 002 Milton Keynes

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fricker

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fricker

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fricker 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

Fricker is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fricker 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 Fricker 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fricker

The surname Fricker originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "fricker," which means "archer" or "crossbowman." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who worked as a skilled archer or crossbowman, possibly in a military or hunting capacity.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Schwäbisches Wörterbuch, a dictionary of the Swabian German dialect, which mentions the surname Fricker in an entry from 1295. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time in the Swabian region of southwestern Germany.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records and manuscripts from different parts of Germany. For example, a man named Hanns Fricker is mentioned in a document from the city of Nuremberg in 1369. Another record from the city of Augsburg in 1372 refers to a man named Ulrich Fricker.

One notable individual with the surname Fricker was Johann Fricker, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1554 to 1612. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and served as a pastor in the city of Ulm.

In the 16th century, the name also appears in records from other parts of Europe, possibly indicating that individuals with the surname had migrated or traveled beyond Germany. For instance, a man named Hans Fricker is mentioned in a document from the city of Basel, Switzerland, in 1567.

Another notable figure with the surname Fricker was Philipp Fricker, a German composer and organist who lived from 1573 to 1619. He is known for his contributions to the development of organ music during the Renaissance period.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Fricker, Fricker, Fricker, and Fricker. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Over the centuries, the Fricker surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, reflecting the diverse paths taken by individuals bearing this name. While the name originated from a specific occupation, it eventually became a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fricker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fricker 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 254 Frickers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.62x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 254 2.62x
Surrey 127 2.69x
Wiltshire 118 13.76x
Somerset 106 6.79x
Kent 48 1.45x
Dorset 46 7.23x
Hampshire 46 2.31x
Gloucestershire 38 2.00x
Lancashire 30 0.26x
Glamorgan 26 1.54x
Nottinghamshire 19 1.45x
Buckinghamshire 18 3.07x
Yorkshire 16 0.17x
Essex 13 0.68x
Berkshire 12 1.65x
Durham 10 0.35x
Suffolk 9 0.76x
Warwickshire 9 0.37x
Staffordshire 8 0.24x
Devon 7 0.35x
Shropshire 7 0.84x
Cornwall 5 0.46x
Monmouthshire 4 0.57x
Northumberland 3 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.51x
Derbyshire 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.22x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Worcestershire 2 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.32x
Royal Navy 1 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 43 Frickers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.91x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 43 7.91x
Mere 38 390.14x
Shoreditch London 32 7.61x
Radstock 24 233.92x
Islington London 19 2.02x
Frome 18 48.22x
Kingston On Thames 17 14.98x
Clerkenwell London 16 6.99x
Cheltenham 15 10.22x
Lambeth 15 1.77x
Swansea Town 15 10.84x
Bethnal Green London 14 3.32x
Toxteth Park 14 3.59x
Bermondsey 13 4.50x
Camberwell 13 2.10x
Bradford On Avon 12 43.72x
Bromley London 12 5.63x
Gillingham 12 109.69x
Kensington London 12 2.23x
Wandsworth 12 12.86x
Corsley 11 325.44x
Dartford 11 32.52x
Horton In Bradford 11 7.33x
Motcombe 11 235.04x
St George Hanover Square 11 6.44x
St Giles In Fields London 11 23.12x
Aldershot 10 15.02x
Eakring 10 699.30x
Ealing 10 11.54x
Newington 10 2.79x
Barking 9 147.30x
Buckingham 9 75.50x
Donhead St Andrew 9 340.91x
Holdenhurst 9 17.26x
Lyncombe Widcombe 9 22.03x
St Pancras London 9 1.15x
Beckington 8 259.74x
Bristol St James St Paul 8 12.62x
Plumstead 8 7.25x
Streatham 8 11.12x
Bristol St Augustine 7 22.81x
Cann 7 376.34x
Cowley 7 424.24x
Croydon 7 2.67x
Devizes St Mary 7 80.74x
Rotherhithe 7 5.84x
Salisbury St Martin 7 78.39x
Shrewsbury St Mary 7 21.18x
Trowbridge 7 18.47x
West Derby 7 2.08x
Worksop 7 18.06x
Yeovil 7 22.08x
Almsford 6 612.24x
Aston 6 0.89x
Battersea 6 1.68x
Bedminster 6 4.09x
Buckland Dinham 6 397.35x
Cardiff St Mary 6 6.45x
Hound 6 44.48x
Manchester 6 1.16x
North Tidworth 6 731.71x
South Tidworth 6 769.23x
St Bride London 6 106.38x
St Marylebone London 6 1.16x
Walcot 6 7.22x
Bremhill 5 129.53x
Eton 5 37.62x
Lewisham 5 2.83x
Mile End Old Town London 5 2.42x
Paddington London 5 1.40x
Portsea 5 1.28x
Putney 5 11.31x
Richmond 5 7.55x
Scilly Islands St Mary 5 116.82x
West Ham 5 1.18x
Westminster St James 5 5.02x
Westminster St John 5 4.23x
Bourton 4 143.88x
Hornsey 4 3.26x
Stoke Damerel 4 2.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 56
George 41
John 39
James 38
Henry 27
Charles 25
Thomas 18
Albert 16
Arthur 16
Edward 15
Alfred 12
Frederick 12
Joseph 10
Ernest 9
Edwin 7
Herbert 7
Samuel 7
Walter 7
Francis 5
Mark 5
Edmund 4
Frank 4
Robert 4
Willm. 4
Chas. 3
Edgar 3
Fredk. 3
Harry 3
Jonathan 3
Tom 3
Enoch 2
Fredrick 2
Herrmann 2
Jas. 2
Jasper 2
Julius 2
Percival 2
Thos. 2
Albin 1
Alwyne 1
Archer 1
Colin 1
Daniel 1
Evan 1
F.W. 1
Fk. 1
Fred 1
Isaiah 1
Jabez 1
Jackson 1

FAQ

Fricker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fricker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 993 people were recorded with the Fricker surname. That placed it at #3,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fricker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,330 in 2016. That gives Fricker a modern rank of #4,520.

What does the Fricker surname mean?

A surname of German origin referring to a cheerful or lively person.

What does the Fricker map show?

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