2000
#14,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Freels
Derived from a nickname for someone who was extremely generous or an anglicized form of German "Friel" or "Friehl."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,126 Americans carry the last name Freels. That puts it at #15,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,220 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Freels 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
2.1K
1 in 161,220
Census rank
#15,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,854 bearers of the surname Freels in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Freels, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Freels
The surname Freels has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "freo," meaning "free" or "noble," and was likely used as a nickname for someone of a free or noble status. The name may also have been influenced by the Old French word "frele," meaning "frail" or "delicate."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Freels can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1203, where a Richard Freel is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a William Freel as a landowner.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Frele, Frelle, and Freyle, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that period. One notable bearer of the name was John Freyll, who served as a Member of Parliament for Kent in 1377.
The Freels surname is also associated with several place names in England, including Freel's Green in Buckinghamshire and Freel's Farm in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Among the notable historical figures with the surname Freels are:
1. Sir Thomas Freels (c. 1540-1616), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
2. William Freels (1590-1662), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.
3. Elizabeth Freels (1670-1745), an English philanthropist and benefactor known for her support of educational institutions.
4. John Freels (1715-1789), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London.
5. Samuel Freels (1780-1854), a British explorer and naturalist who documented the flora and fauna of the West Indies.
These examples illustrate the long and varied history of the Freels surname, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, clergymen, philanthropists, architects, and explorers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Freels
Among Census respondents with the surname Freels, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Freels 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 Freels surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,668
- Two or more races3.8% · 70
- Black or African American3.3% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Freels
Freels 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
#14,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,060
+133 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 221 places
2020
#15,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,854
-206 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 749 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,268 | 1,927 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,489 | 2,060 | 0.70 | +133 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 221 places |
| 2020 | #15,238 | 1,854 | 0.62 | -206 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 749 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 Freels 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 | #14,489 | #15,238 | -5.2% |
| Count | 2,060 | 1,854 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.62 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Freels bearers went from 2,060 to 1,854 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 749 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,489 to #15,238.
FAQ
Freels surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Freels?
Name Census estimates that about 2,126 living Americans carry the surname Freels. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,220 residents.
How common is Freels?
Freels ranks #15,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,854 people with the surname Freels. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Freels.
Has Freels become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Freels went from 2,060 recorded bearers to 1,854. That is a decrease of 206 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,489 to #15,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Freels?
Among Census respondents with the surname Freels, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Freels in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,668 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Freels appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (3.3%). 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 Freels (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 Freels mean?
Derived from a nickname for someone who was extremely generous or an anglicized form of German "Friel" or "Friehl." 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 Freels (0.62 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 common is the surname Freels?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Freels, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.