NameCensus.

UK surname

Friend

An English surname derived from the Old English word "freond," denoting a close companion or trusted confidant.

In the 1881 census there were 3,382 people recorded with the Friend surname, ranking it #1,346 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,247, ranked #1,598, down from #1,346 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Northlew and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, West Devon and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Friend is 4,636 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.6%.

1881 census count

3,382

Ranked #1,346

Modern count

4,247

2016, ranked #1,598

Peak year

1999

4,636 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Friend had 3,382 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,346 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,247 in 2016, ranked #1,598.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,620 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Friend surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Friend surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Friend 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 2,321 #1,276
1861 historical 2,289 #1,286
1881 historical 3,382 #1,346
1891 historical 3,501 #1,363
1901 historical 4,120 #1,365
1911 historical 4,620 #1,120
1997 modern 4,500 #1,456
1998 modern 4,618 #1,470
1999 modern 4,636 #1,480
2000 modern 4,585 #1,483
2001 modern 4,471 #1,487
2002 modern 4,587 #1,485
2003 modern 4,442 #1,495
2004 modern 4,429 #1,499
2005 modern 4,291 #1,522
2006 modern 4,233 #1,544
2007 modern 4,260 #1,552
2008 modern 4,266 #1,553
2009 modern 4,378 #1,558
2010 modern 4,436 #1,567
2011 modern 4,384 #1,562
2012 modern 4,282 #1,567
2013 modern 4,351 #1,576
2014 modern 4,356 #1,586
2015 modern 4,288 #1,590
2016 modern 4,247 #1,598

Geography

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Where Friends are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Northlew, Lambeth and Ramsgate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, West Devon and North Devon. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northlew Devon
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Ramsgate Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 003 Dover
2 Dover 005 Dover
3 West Devon 005 West Devon
4 North Devon 006 North Devon
5 Dover 002 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Friend

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Friend

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

Friend is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Friend falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Friend

The surname Friend is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "freond," which means "loved one" or "kinsman." The name first appeared in the 12th century and was used to refer to someone who was a close and trusted companion or ally.

Friend is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was particularly friendly or had many friends. It may also have been used to denote a close relationship between two individuals, such as a servant or retainer who was part of a lord's household.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Friend is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, which mention a "Willelmus Frend." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain several references to individuals with the surname Friend, including a John le Frend from Oxfordshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Friend, but there are entries for individuals with the first name "Frend," which may have been a precursor to the later surname.

Some notable historical figures with the surname Friend include:

1. Sir John Friend (c. 1640-1696), an English merchant and member of Parliament. 2. John Friend (1675-1728), an English physician and philosopher known for his work on the human body and its relation to the mind. 3. William Friend (1758-1827), an American Quaker minister and abolitionist who worked to end slavery in the United States. 4. Mary Towne Friend (1824-1910), an American educator and women's rights activist who founded the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, New York. 5. Roger Friend (1922-2005), a British actor and director known for his work in television and theater.

The name Friend has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Friendsbury in Worcestershire and Friendsbury Hill in Gloucestershire, which may have derived their names from individuals with the surname Friend who lived in or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Friend families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Friend 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 768 Friends recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.80x.

County Total Index
Kent 768 6.80x
Devon 629 9.12x
Middlesex 433 1.31x
Surrey 284 1.76x
Suffolk 207 5.13x
Sussex 199 3.56x
Lancashire 88 0.22x
Yorkshire 84 0.26x
Durham 77 0.78x
Staffordshire 70 0.63x
Essex 58 0.89x
Hampshire 57 0.84x
Warwickshire 50 0.60x
Gloucestershire 39 0.60x
Cornwall 34 0.91x
Dorset 32 1.47x
Cheshire 30 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 27 1.29x
Midlothian 23 0.52x
Lanarkshire 20 0.19x
Somerset 18 0.34x
Glamorgan 14 0.24x
Northumberland 13 0.26x
Worcestershire 13 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.25x
Berkshire 10 0.40x
Monmouthshire 10 0.42x
Royal Navy 9 2.28x
Northamptonshire 8 0.26x
Shropshire 8 0.28x
Norfolk 7 0.14x
Hertfordshire 6 0.26x
Leicestershire 6 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.25x
Cumberland 5 0.18x
Wigtownshire 5 1.14x
Brecknockshire 4 0.60x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.61x
Wiltshire 4 0.14x
Ayrshire 3 0.12x
Isle of Man 3 0.49x
Lincolnshire 3 0.06x
Derbyshire 2 0.04x
Westmorland 2 0.27x
Banffshire 1 0.15x
Bedfordshire 1 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.10x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.11x
Flintshire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.10x
Perthshire 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deal in Kent leads with 66 Friends recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.48x.

Place Total Index
Deal 66 68.48x
Dolton 64 752.94x
Lambeth 58 2.01x
Camberwell 56 2.65x
Ramsgate 46 24.94x
Plymouth St Andrew 40 7.53x
Bermondsey 37 3.75x
Brighton 35 3.11x
Marytavy 34 334.65x
Hackney London 31 1.67x
Northlew 31 358.80x
Chelsea London 30 3.01x
Ewell Lydden 29 329.55x
Kensington London 28 1.52x
Plymouth Charles The 26 8.56x
Croydon 24 2.68x
Tavistock 24 30.56x
Wisbech St Peter 24 22.82x
Paignton 23 43.85x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 22 1.23x
Lewisham 22 3.65x
Leamington Priors 21 10.22x
Malborough 21 76.64x
Parham 21 415.02x
St Luke London 21 3.95x
Tormoham 21 7.20x
Whitstable 21 37.89x
Cheetham 20 6.82x
Hammersmith London 20 2.45x
Shoreditch London 20 1.39x
Bromley London 19 2.61x
Hythe St Leonard 19 47.58x
Mile End Old Town London 19 2.70x
Plumstead 19 5.04x
St Pancras London 19 0.71x
Charlton 18 23.98x
Exeter St Sidwell 18 11.40x
Hougham 18 26.79x
Ipswich St Margaret 18 13.15x
Bethnal Green London 17 1.18x
Dawlish 17 33.06x
East Grinstead 17 21.51x
Gillingham 17 7.30x
Kingswinford 17 4.19x
Lifton 17 102.41x
Margate St John Baptist 17 8.22x
Portsea 17 1.28x
Preston 17 17.44x
Wenhaston 17 170.85x
Westerham 17 65.23x
Wickham Market 17 101.92x
Beerferris 16 119.14x
Islington London 16 0.50x
Ringwould 16 165.46x
Stoke Damerel 16 3.32x
Battersea 15 1.23x
Highampton 15 445.10x
Milton In Gravesend 15 8.85x
St Marylebone London 15 0.85x
Westoe 15 2.69x
Willington 15 26.35x
Barfreston 14 1052.63x
Deptford St Paul 14 1.61x
Hatherleigh 14 81.63x
Higher Bebington 14 29.91x
Hornsey 14 3.34x
Limehouse London 14 3.85x
Newington 14 1.14x
Speldhurst 14 24.34x
Bawdsey 13 265.31x
Bridestow 13 178.08x
Cudham 13 112.36x
Horton Kirby 13 74.41x
Northbourne 13 120.82x
Sutton 13 11.13x
Ashford 12 10.91x
Eastry 12 76.58x
Handsworth 12 4.36x
Hove 12 4.90x
St Giles In Fields London 12 7.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 215
Elizabeth 136
Sarah 113
Jane 74
Emily 53
Emma 53
Ann 50
Ellen 50
Annie 49
Alice 47
Eliza 46
Fanny 25
Martha 25
Caroline 24
Harriet 23
Charlotte 22
Florence 22
Louisa 22
Hannah 21
Maria 21
Clara 18
Margaret 18
Rosa 15
Edith 14
Ada 13
Harriett 13
Sophia 13
Anne 12
Kate 11
Rebecca 11
Agnes 10
Catherine 10
Grace 10
Lucy 10
Amelia 9
Amy 9
Bessie 9
Isabella 9
Susan 9
Frances 8
Esther 7
Flora 7
Rose 7
Anna 6
Betsy 6
Ethel 6
Julia 6
Matilda 6
Maud 6
Susannah 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 199
William 196
George 127
James 115
Thomas 96
Henry 73
Charles 68
Frederick 46
Alfred 43
Edward 41
Robert 40
Arthur 38
Richard 37
Samuel 27
Joseph 23
Walter 20
Albert 19
David 17
Herbert 17
Ernest 16
Harry 16
Frank 14
Francis 13
Edwin 12
Daniel 10
Abraham 9
Wm. 9
Sidney 8
Stephen 8
Isaac 7
Archibald 5
Horace 5
Morris 5
Willm. 5
Andrew 4
Benjamin 4
Edgar 4
Fredk. 4
Hugh 4
Jacob 4
Jesse 4
Leonard 4
Mark 4
Matthew 4
Ralph 4
Saml. 4
Thos. 4
Chas. 3
Peter 3
Philip 3

FAQ

Friend surname: questions and answers

How common was the Friend surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,382 people were recorded with the Friend surname. That placed it at #1,346 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Friend surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,247 in 2016. That gives Friend a modern rank of #1,598.

What does the Friend surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "freond," denoting a close companion or trusted confidant.

What does the Friend map show?

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