Find out how popular the last name Freeland is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Freeland.

Freeland, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Freeland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freeland in America

Freeland is the 4101st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freeland surname appeared 8,653 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Freeland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freeland to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Freeland

The surname Freeland originated in England during the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old English words 'freo' meaning 'free' and 'land' referring to a landowner who was not bound to feudal service. The name likely referred to someone who owned their own land or held it in freehold.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a Richard de Frelond is mentioned. This suggests the name was already well-established by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as Frelond, Frylond, and Frylaund in records from counties like Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. This indicates the name was widespread across different regions of England.

The Freeland surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting it emerged later in the medieval period. However, it is possible the name evolved from earlier place names or locations recorded in the Domesday survey.

Some notable individuals bearing the Freeland surname include Sir Ralph Freeland (c. 1490-1555), a courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another is John Freeland (c. 1600-1675), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in various spellings such as Freyland, Frylen, and Fryland in parish records across England. Variations like Freland and Frelon were also common.

Other historical figures with the Freeland surname include Thomas Freeland (1710-1789), an English silk merchant and banker, and Benjamin Freeland (1772-1857), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

During the 19th century, the surname Freeland became more standardized in its modern spelling. Notable bearers from this period include William Freeland (1808-1888), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freeland

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Freeland.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Freeland was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Freeland has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Freeland was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Freeland, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!