NameCensus.

UK surname

Frost

An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near a frozen stream or had a cold personality.

In the 1881 census there were 16,800 people recorded with the Frost surname, ranking it #230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21,747, ranked #274, down from #230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maldon, Cheshire East and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frost is 23,309 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.4%.

1881 census count

16,800

Ranked #230

Modern count

21,747

2016, ranked #274

Peak year

1999

23,309 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frost had 16,800 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 21,747 in 2016, ranked #274.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 23,048 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Frost surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Frost surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Frost 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 10,839 #231
1861 historical 9,939 #264
1881 historical 16,800 #230
1891 historical 17,274 #233
1901 historical 20,993 #225
1911 historical 23,048 #185
1997 modern 22,200 #254
1998 modern 23,224 #253
1999 modern 23,309 #253
2000 modern 23,077 #255
2001 modern 22,545 #255
2002 modern 22,927 #257
2003 modern 22,136 #258
2004 modern 22,054 #259
2005 modern 21,666 #262
2006 modern 21,536 #262
2007 modern 21,555 #266
2008 modern 21,675 #266
2009 modern 22,174 #267
2010 modern 22,443 #273
2011 modern 22,136 #271
2012 modern 21,701 #272
2013 modern 22,138 #271
2014 modern 22,222 #272
2015 modern 21,908 #273
2016 modern 21,747 #274

Geography

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Where Frosts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Maldon, Cheshire East, Mid Suffolk and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maldon 001 Maldon
2 Cheshire East 026 Cheshire East
3 Mid Suffolk 002 Mid Suffolk
4 Mid Suffolk 004 Mid Suffolk
5 Stoke-on-Trent 002 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Frost

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Frost

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Frost is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Frost 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

Frost falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Frost

The surname FROST has its origins in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It dates back to the late 12th century and is derived from the Old English word "frost," meaning the frozen water vapor that forms ice crystals. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who lived in a particularly cold or frosty area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the FROST surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where it is listed as "Gaufridus Frost." The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also mention a "Robert Frost" from Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the name had already spread to other parts of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the FROST surname appears in various records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, which lists a "Johannes Frost" from Howden. The name is also mentioned in the Calendars of Wills from London, with a "John Frost" being recorded in 1392.

One notable historical figure with the FROST surname was Sir John Frost (c. 1470-1537), who was a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1524.

Another prominent individual was the 17th-century English poet, Robert Frost (1594-1669), who was born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. He is known for his collection of religious poems titled "Emblemes of Divine and Moral Discourses," published in 1635.

In the 18th century, the FROST surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as William Frost (1737-1805), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of English scenery.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was John Frost (1784-1877), a Welsh leader of the Chartist movement, who led the Newport Rising in 1839 in an attempt to gain greater political rights for working-class people.

Finally, the 20th century saw the rise of the renowned American poet, Robert Lee Frost (1874-1963), who was born in San Francisco but spent most of his life in New England. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in American literature and is famous for works such as "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Frost families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frost 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 2,200 Frosts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,200 1.34x
Yorkshire 1,306 0.80x
Surrey 1,266 1.58x
Lancashire 1,094 0.56x
Essex 1,074 3.31x
Suffolk 1,072 5.36x
Norfolk 977 3.87x
Derbyshire 783 3.04x
Devon 778 2.28x
Staffordshire 745 1.34x
Kent 487 0.87x
Northamptonshire 384 2.49x
Somerset 375 1.42x
Sussex 339 1.22x
Cheshire 328 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 309 1.40x
Warwickshire 303 0.73x
Lincolnshire 272 1.04x
Hampshire 268 0.80x
Cambridgeshire 249 2.39x
Leicestershire 229 1.26x
Durham 221 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 200 2.01x
Gloucestershire 176 0.55x
Bedfordshire 135 1.59x
Worcestershire 132 0.62x
Hertfordshire 123 1.09x
Cornwall 102 0.55x
Oxfordshire 101 1.00x
Shropshire 94 0.66x
Northumberland 82 0.34x
Monmouthshire 75 0.63x
Aberdeenshire 66 0.43x
Glamorgan 62 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 61 1.87x
Berkshire 56 0.45x
Dorset 51 0.47x
Cumberland 33 0.23x
Lanarkshire 32 0.06x
Channel Islands 30 0.62x
Wiltshire 29 0.20x
Royal Navy 23 1.18x
Pembrokeshire 20 0.38x
Brecknockshire 16 0.49x
Fife 11 0.11x
Herefordshire 10 0.15x
Midlothian 9 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 8 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.09x
Cardiganshire 4 0.10x
Kincardineshire 4 0.20x
West Lothian 4 0.16x
Anglesey 3 0.10x
Angus 3 0.02x
Rutland 3 0.25x
Wigtownshire 3 0.14x
Denbighshire 2 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.05x
Flintshire 2 0.05x
Perthshire 2 0.03x
Westmorland 2 0.06x
Orkney 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 261 Frosts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.64x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 261 1.64x
Lambeth 254 1.77x
St Pancras London 208 1.57x
Hackney London 186 2.02x
Kensington London 150 1.64x
Camberwell 148 1.41x
West Ham 146 2.04x
Sheffield 124 2.39x
Ecclesall Bierlow 117 3.53x
St Marylebone London 112 1.28x
Stoke Upon Trent 111 1.89x
Newington 105 1.73x
Shoreditch London 102 1.43x
Manchester 97 1.11x
Aston 95 0.83x
Leicester St Margaret 95 2.14x
Hulme 89 2.19x
Battersea 86 1.42x
Croydon 86 1.94x
Nottingham St Mary 83 1.45x
Bermondsey 78 1.60x
Bethnal Green London 78 1.09x
Birmingham 75 0.54x
Tormoham 75 5.18x
Brighton 70 1.25x
Bromley London 70 1.94x
Hammersmith London 68 1.68x
Norton In Moors 67 22.83x
Ashton Under Lyne 64 1.50x
Plumstead 64 3.43x
Salford 62 1.08x
Burslem 61 3.84x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 61 16.25x
Mile End Old Town London 59 1.69x
Paddington London 57 0.94x
Wolstanton 57 3.38x
Oldham 56 0.89x
Tottenham 55 2.10x
Everton 54 0.87x
St George Hanover Square 53 1.83x
Bury St Edmunds St James 51 9.54x
Holy Trinity 51 1.30x
Portsea 51 0.77x
Chelsea London 50 1.01x
Derby St Werburgh 50 3.37x
Kimberworth 50 5.53x
Assington 48 114.75x
Leigh 46 40.81x
Macclesfield 46 2.85x
Sculcoates 46 1.78x
Hornsey 45 2.17x
Plymouth St Andrew 45 1.71x
Fakenham 44 35.38x
Deptford St Paul 43 0.99x
Derby St Peter 43 5.25x
Pakenham 43 79.75x
Wolverhampton 43 1.01x
Ardwick 42 2.39x
Richmond 42 3.75x
Tollesbury 42 51.73x
Brightside Bierlow 41 1.28x
Great Yarmouth 41 1.96x
Wells Next Sea 41 27.84x
Wimbledon 41 4.56x
Bakewell 40 28.44x
Mollington 40 258.73x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 39 1.29x
Broughton In Salford 39 2.19x
Prittlewell 39 8.68x
Upton Cum Chalvey 39 9.86x
Wigan 39 1.43x
Barton In Clay 38 63.64x
Poplar London 38 1.23x
Rawmarsh 38 6.61x
Ripley 38 11.95x
Daventry 37 16.93x
Leeds 37 0.40x
Hunslet 36 1.42x
Stoke Damerel 36 1.50x
West Derby 36 0.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,019
Elizabeth 623
Sarah 586
Eliza 328
Emma 311
Ann 276
Ellen 260
Jane 256
Alice 240
Annie 232
Emily 222
Hannah 193
Martha 146
Maria 140
Harriet 139
Louisa 125
Edith 122
Fanny 117
Charlotte 111
Caroline 105
Ada 104
Florence 102
Margaret 102
Kate 86
Susan 83
Lucy 73
Clara 72
Frances 67
Rose 66
Harriett 59
Amelia 56
Catherine 54
Agnes 50
Jessie 46
Minnie 44
Anne 43
Rebecca 41
Sophia 41
Julia 39
Isabella 37
Susannah 37
Gertrude 34
Elizth. 33
Esther 33
Lydia 33
Matilda 33
Ruth 33
Anna 30
Selina 30
Bessie 29

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,009
John 879
George 657
James 530
Thomas 466
Henry 371
Charles 350
Joseph 255
Robert 217
Alfred 205
Arthur 188
Frederick 184
Walter 184
Edward 168
Samuel 154
Harry 141
Albert 126
Richard 105
Herbert 79
Ernest 77
Edwin 63
Benjamin 58
Frank 55
David 49
Francis 43
Wm. 40
Isaac 39
Fredrick 31
Daniel 30
Fred 29
Edmund 26
Fredk. 26
Geo. 26
Matthew 26
Thos. 26
Philip 25
Sidney 22
Chas. 21
Stephen 21
Elijah 18
Tom 16
Abraham 15
Eli 15
Horace 15
Reuben 15
Jno. 14
Mark 14
Percy 14
Earnest 13
Willm. 13

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 Frost households.

FAQ

Frost surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frost surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16,800 people were recorded with the Frost surname. That placed it at #230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frost surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 21,747 in 2016. That gives Frost a modern rank of #274.

What does the Frost surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near a frozen stream or had a cold personality.

What does the Frost map show?

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