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

Freeman, 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 Freeman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freeman in America

Freeman is the 151st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freeman surname appeared 169,149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 57 people would have the surname Freeman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Freeman 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 Freeman

The surname Freeman has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "freo" meaning free, and "mann" meaning man. It was initially used to refer to a man who was not a serf or a bondsman, but rather a free tenant or landholder.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Francus Homo" or "Francus Hominus," the Latin equivalent of Freeman. This suggests that the surname was already in use among the Anglo-Saxons before the Norman Conquest.

In medieval England, the Freemen were often members of the yeomanry, a class of small landowners who cultivated their own land and enjoyed certain rights and privileges. The name was particularly prevalent in counties like Kent, Sussex, and Essex, where the yeomanry had a strong presence.

Notable individuals with the surname Freeman include William Freeman (c. 1590-1670), a successful merchant and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Freeman (1590-1663) was an English clergyman and author, best known for his work "A Reall Protestancy." Thomas Freeman (1614-1663) was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a prominent figure in the early history of Virginia.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Richard Freeman (1510-1558), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions for his religious beliefs. Samuel Freeman (1773-1857) was an American soldier and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

The surname Freeman has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Freeman's Marsh in Kent and Freeman's Farm in Sussex. These locations likely derived their names from early inhabitants bearing the Freeman surname.

Over time, the name has also been subject to various spellings, including Freman, Fremon, and Freymon, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes. However, the core meaning of the name, signifying a free or independent individual, has remained consistent throughout its long history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freeman

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

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 Freeman 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 Freeman 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 Freeman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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