2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Freetly
An English habitational surname referring to someone from a local place with "frid" meaning peace or haven.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Freetly. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Freetly 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Freetly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Freetly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Freetly
The surname FREETLY has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "fre" meaning "free" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a free or unenclosed meadow area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John Freteley. This indicates that the name was present in the West Midlands region during the medieval period, although variations in spelling were common at the time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different counties, including the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332, which listed a William Fretheleye. This demonstrates the spread of the name beyond its presumed area of origin.
The Freetly family can trace their lineage back to the village of Freetley in Lincolnshire, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots as the surname. Records from the 16th century mention several inhabitants of the village bearing the Freetly surname.
One notable individual with this surname was John Freetly, a merchant and landowner who lived in London during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in trade with the Netherlands and owned properties in various parts of the city.
Another prominent figure was Sir William Freetly (1602-1678), a member of Parliament and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He served as a colonel in the Parliamentary army and played a role in the siege of Colchester in 1648.
In the 18th century, Thomas Freetly (1712-1790) was a respected scholar and clergyman who served as the headmaster of Eton College from 1761 to 1786. He was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his efforts to reform the curriculum at the prestigious school.
During the 19th century, the Freetly surname gained recognition through the work of artist and illustrator Emily Freetly (1838-1912). She was particularly renowned for her detailed botanical illustrations and her collaborations with renowned naturalists of the time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Arthur Freetly (1867-1941), a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the Second Boer War and World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery in action.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Freetly
Among Census respondents with the surname Freetly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Freetly 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 Freetly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 96
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Freetly
Freetly appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,957 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 Freetly 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 | #159,712 | #154,755 | 3.1% |
| Count | 101 | 102 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Freetly bearers went from 101 to 102 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,755.
FAQ
Freetly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Freetly?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Freetly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Freetly?
Freetly ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Freetly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Freetly.
Has Freetly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Freetly went from 101 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Freetly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Freetly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Freetly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Freetly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Freetly (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 Freetly mean?
An English habitational surname referring to someone from a local place with "frid" meaning peace or haven. 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 Freetly (0.03 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 Freetly?
If you just want to know how many people are called Freetly, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.