NameCensus.

UK surname

Friday

An English occupational surname for someone who worked or was associated with the day of the week, Friday.

In the 1881 census there were 490 people recorded with the Friday surname, ranking it #6,876 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 754, ranked #7,258, down from #6,876 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, Dorking and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Friday is 818 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.9%.

1881 census count

490

Ranked #6,876

Modern count

754

2016, ranked #7,258

Peak year

1999

818 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Friday had 490 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,876 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 754 in 2016, ranked #7,258.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 635 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Friday surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Friday surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Friday 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 391 #6,144
1861 historical 443 #5,835
1881 historical 490 #6,876
1891 historical 524 #7,145
1901 historical 574 #7,311
1911 historical 635 #6,547
1997 modern 786 #6,637
1998 modern 812 #6,677
1999 modern 818 #6,677
2000 modern 806 #6,729
2001 modern 787 #6,733
2002 modern 774 #6,959
2003 modern 751 #7,010
2004 modern 765 #6,923
2005 modern 747 #6,986
2006 modern 767 #6,864
2007 modern 765 #6,947
2008 modern 777 #6,920
2009 modern 789 #6,971
2010 modern 802 #7,014
2011 modern 792 #7,009
2012 modern 751 #7,220
2013 modern 773 #7,169
2014 modern 786 #7,107
2015 modern 780 #7,078
2016 modern 754 #7,258

Geography

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Where Fridays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, Dorking, London parishes and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale. 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 Minster Kent
2 Dorking Surrey
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 001 Swale
2 Swale 005 Swale
3 Swale 002 Swale
4 Swale 003 Swale
5 Swale 004 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Friday

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Friday

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Friday is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Friday is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Friday

The surname FRIDAY is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "frigedæg," which means "day of Frigg," referring to the Germanic goddess Frigg or Freyja. This name was given to those born on the sixth day of the week or to those who lived near a place associated with the goddess.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname FRIDAY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Frederic in Gloucestershire. The name was also prevalent in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, where a Robert Fridai was mentioned in 1195.

During the 13th century, the surname FRIDAY was particularly common in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where it was often associated with place names like Fridaybridge and Fridaythorpe. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Fridaye, Fryday, and Fryedaye.

One notable bearer of the FRIDAY surname was Sir John Friday (c. 1520-1589), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from Norfolk who endowed several local charities and schools. Another prominent figure was Samuel Friday (1615-1684), a Puritan minister and author from Cambridgeshire, known for his work "Disquisitions on the Law and Gospel."

In the 17th century, the surname FRIDAY was found in various parts of England, including London, where a Richard Friday was recorded as a merchant in 1635. The name was also present in the American colonies, with one of the earliest recorded instances being William Friday (c. 1635-1697), a Quaker from Wiltshire who settled in Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the FRIDAY surname include John Friday (1742-1828), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and Samuel Friday (1804-1868), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

While the surname FRIDAY has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonial expansion. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the veneration of the Germanic goddess Frigg or Freyja.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Friday families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Friday 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 178 Fridays recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.89x.

County Total Index
Kent 178 10.89x
Surrey 93 3.98x
Middlesex 62 1.29x
Northamptonshire 25 5.55x
Warwickshire 23 1.90x
Buckinghamshire 19 6.56x
Staffordshire 14 0.87x
Yorkshire 12 0.25x
Lancashire 11 0.19x
Hampshire 9 0.92x
Hertfordshire 9 2.73x
Durham 8 0.56x
Gloucestershire 5 0.53x
Berkshire 4 1.11x
Derbyshire 3 0.40x
Bedfordshire 2 0.81x
Lanarkshire 2 0.13x
Lincolnshire 2 0.26x
Royal Navy 2 3.50x
Sussex 2 0.25x
Channel Islands 1 0.70x
Devon 1 0.10x
Essex 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.14x
Oxfordshire 1 0.34x
Worcestershire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Minster In Sheppey in Kent leads with 26 Fridays recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.05x.

Place Total Index
Minster In Sheppey 26 96.05x
Syresham 20 1526.72x
Dorking 17 108.49x
Hollingbourn 16 846.56x
Handsworth 14 35.13x
Hendon 14 81.25x
Coventry Holy Trinity 13 36.04x
Crayford 12 168.07x
Lewisham 11 12.62x
Gillingham 10 29.68x
Northfleet 10 69.44x
Hackney London 8 2.98x
Stone 8 355.56x
Ash Normandy 7 220.82x
Betchworth 7 243.06x
Camberwell 7 2.29x
Faversham 7 44.93x
Fetcham 7 897.44x
Lynsted 7 330.19x
Murston 7 486.11x
Chipping Barnet 6 103.99x
Cranleigh 6 175.44x
Ealing 6 14.02x
Leatherhead 6 102.74x
Ospringe 6 298.51x
Stoke Goldington 6 454.55x
Bletchingley 5 164.47x
Chilham 5 214.59x
Ditton 5 909.09x
Grange Gillingham 5 694.44x
Horley 5 127.88x
Paddington London 5 2.84x
Southampton St Mary 5 8.10x
Southwark Christchurch 5 22.28x
Southwark St Saviour 5 20.31x
Whitechapel London 5 10.59x
Aston 4 1.20x
Bexley 4 27.68x
Bishopwearmouth 4 3.27x
Cheetham 4 9.44x
Chelsea London 4 2.77x
Coventry St Michael 4 10.31x
Duston 4 97.80x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 6.48x
Kimberworth 4 15.19x
Molash 4 727.27x
River 4 384.62x
Salford 4 2.39x
St George Hanover Square 4 4.74x
St Sepulchre London 4 57.06x
Upchurch 4 217.39x
Binsted 3 80.21x
Cheltenham 3 4.14x
Clewer 3 20.37x
Croydon 3 2.32x
Gravesend 3 21.68x
Lower Halstow 3 252.10x
Manchester 3 1.17x
Rawmarsh 3 17.89x
Reigate Foreign 3 11.87x
Sheldwich 3 285.71x
St Marylebone London 3 1.17x
Amersham 2 48.66x
Ashtead 2 131.58x
Birmingham 2 0.50x
Bradford 2 1.74x
Bristol Temple 2 32.36x
Bromley London 2 1.90x
Glasgow 2 0.73x
Greenwich 2 2.62x
Harbledown 2 169.49x
Kensington London 2 0.75x
Louth 2 11.40x
Maidstone 2 4.11x
Newington 2 1.13x
Rickmansworth 2 22.00x
Royal Navy 2 4.10x
Sturry 2 103.63x
Sundon 2 322.58x
Warley 2 14.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 15
Ann 12
Emily 10
Jane 10
Emma 8
Ellen 7
Alice 6
Annie 6
Charlotte 6
Hannah 5
Rose 5
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Amy 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Elenor 1
Elizabh. 1
Elizebeth 1
Helen 1
Hellener 1
Lear 1
Lilian 1
Lottie 1
Lydia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
George 22
James 21
John 21
Alfred 15
Charles 13
Edward 11
Henry 11
Thomas 11
Arthur 8
Richard 6
Walter 6
Ernest 5
Joseph 5
Albert 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Robert 4
Edmund 3
Harry 3
Amos 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Oscar 2
Percy 2
Stephen 2
A. 1
Allen 1
Amanuel 1
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Charley 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Edwd. 1
Elias 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Horace 1
Howard 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Jim 1
Lewis 1
Michel 1
Pearcy 1
Sinnott 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Friday surname: questions and answers

How common was the Friday surname in 1881?

In 1881, 490 people were recorded with the Friday surname. That placed it at #6,876 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Friday surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 754 in 2016. That gives Friday a modern rank of #7,258.

What does the Friday surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who worked or was associated with the day of the week, Friday.

What does the Friday map show?

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