2000
#10,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,672
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Fredette
A French toponymic surname derived from a diminutive of the Old French word "fred," meaning "peace."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,777 Americans carry the last name Fredette. That puts it at #12,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,426 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fredette surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,426
Census rank
#12,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,422 bearers of the surname Fredette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fredette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fredette
The surname Fredette originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "fredette," which means "little frost" or "little cold." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who had a cold demeanor or lived in a particularly chilly region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fredette can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval French manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document contains a reference to a certain "Robertus Fredette," indicating that the name was in use during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name Fredette appeared in the Rolls of the Exchequer of Normandy, a collection of financial records from the Norman government. This suggests that individuals bearing the name Fredette were present in the region of Normandy during that era.
The earliest known bearer of the Fredette name was Jean Fredette, born in 1475 in the village of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, located in the northern French region of Normandy. Jean Fredette was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations.
Another notable figure in the history of the Fredette surname was Étienne Fredette, born in 1612 in the town of Rouen, Normandy. Étienne Fredette was a successful merchant and trader who established trade routes between France and the colonies of New France (present-day Canada).
In the 17th century, the Fredette family began to migrate to New France, where the name became more widespread. One of the earliest settlers was Pierre Fredette, who arrived in Quebec City in 1664 and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.
During the 18th century, the Fredette surname could be found in various parts of New France, including Montreal and the Saguenay region. One notable individual from this period was Marie-Anne Fredette, born in 1732 in Quebec City, who became a renowned educator and established several schools for girls in the colony.
Throughout the 19th century, the Fredette family continued to grow and spread across Canada and the United States. One notable figure was Joseph-Octave Fredette, born in 1870 in Quebec, who became a successful businessman and politician, serving as a member of the Canadian Parliament from 1908 to 1917.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fredette
Among Census respondents with the surname Fredette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fredette bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fredette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,225
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 89
- Two or more races3.1% · 75
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fredette
Fredette appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,685
+13 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 746 places
2020
#12,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,422
-263 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,929 | 2,672 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,675 | 2,685 | 0.91 | +13 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 746 places |
| 2020 | #12,270 | 2,422 | 0.81 | -263 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 595 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fredette surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,675 | #12,270 | -5.1% |
| Count | 2,685 | 2,422 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.81 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fredette bearers went from 2,685 to 2,422 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 595 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,675 to #12,270.
FAQ
Fredette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fredette?
Name Census estimates that about 2,777 living Americans carry the surname Fredette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,426 residents.
How common is Fredette?
Fredette ranks #12,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,422 people with the surname Fredette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fredette.
Has Fredette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fredette went from 2,685 recorded bearers to 2,422. That is a decrease of 263 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,675 to #12,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Fredette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fredette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fredette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fredette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fredette (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fredette mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a diminutive of the Old French word "fred," meaning "peace." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fredette (0.81 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Fredette?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Fredette? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.