NameCensus.

UK surname

Froment

A surname derived from the French word for wheat, typically referring to a wheat farmer or miller.

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Froment surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Milton, Swavesey and Waterbeach. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, Isle of Wight and Rochford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Froment is 162 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 178.4%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2010

162 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Froment had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Froment surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Froment surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Froment 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 143 #22,317
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 152 #22,225
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 162 #22,292
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Froments are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Milton, Swavesey, Waterbeach, Enfield and Cottenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, Isle of Wight, Rochford and Dacorum. 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 Milton Cambridgeshire
2 Swavesey Huntingdonshire
3 Waterbeach Cambridgeshire
4 Enfield Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Cottenham Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 003 South Cambridgeshire
2 South Cambridgeshire 011 South Cambridgeshire
3 Isle of Wight 003 Isle of Wight
4 Rochford 008 Rochford
5 Dacorum 002 Dacorum

Forenames

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First names often paired with Froment

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Froment

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Froment is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Froment 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

Froment falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Froment

The surname FROMENT originated in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "froment," meaning wheat or grain, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for a miller or baker.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Hugues Froment, a miller who lived in the village of Champlitte in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France in the late 12th century. Records from this time period also show the name spelled as "Frument" and "Fromentel."

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records and charters across different regions of France, including Normandy, Burgundy, and Champagne. One notable example is Guillaume Froment, a merchant from the town of Dijon, mentioned in a charter dated 1278.

The Froment name has been associated with several historical figures over the centuries. In the 15th century, Nicolas Froment was a renowned painter from Avignon, known for his altarpiece in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms in Avignon, completed in 1476.

During the 16th century, the Froment family established itself in the city of Lyon, where they became prominent merchants and bankers. Antoine Froment (1508-1581) was a successful banker and a leader in the Protestant Reformation in Lyon.

In the 17th century, Jean Froment (1619-1675) was a French cleric and theologian who served as the Bishop of Aire and played a role in the discussions surrounding Jansenism.

The 18th century saw the birth of Nicolas Froment (1741-1826), a French painter and engraver who studied under Jacques-Louis David and is known for his portraits and historical paintings.

Another notable bearer of the name was Jean-Baptiste Froment (1783-1853), a French architect who designed several buildings in the neoclassical style, including the Palais de Justice in Lyon.

Throughout its history, the Froment surname has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Fromentin, a commune in the Gers department, and Fromentières, a commune in the Marne department.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Froment families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Froment 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 36 Froments recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.32x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 36 114.32x
Middlesex 5 1.01x
Yorkshire 5 1.01x
Durham 3 2.03x
Suffolk 1 1.65x
Surrey 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milton in Cambridgeshire leads with 16 Froments recorded in 1881 and an index of 17777.78x.

Place Total Index
Milton 16 17777.78x
Waterbeach 11 4230.77x
Landbeach 5 5555.56x
Lockwood 5 282.49x
Islington London 4 8.30x
Stranton 3 60.24x
Cottenham 2 476.19x
Croydon 1 7.43x
Kirtling 1 714.29x
St Andrewthe Great 1 243.90x
St Pancras London 1 2.50x
Sudbury St Gregory 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Mary 2
Amy 1
Bridgett 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Elenor 1
Elizabeth 1
Emelia 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Henritta 1
Martha 1
Miltada 1
Phebe 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Sheilah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Arthur 2
George 2
James 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Byrons 1
Elliott 1
F. 1
Frederick 1
Llewellyn 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Froment households.

FAQ

Froment surname: questions and answers

How common was the Froment surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Froment surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Froment surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Froment a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Froment surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word for wheat, typically referring to a wheat farmer or miller.

What does the Froment map show?

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