Freston last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Freston

An English toponymic surname referring to someone from a place called Freston.

Freston, 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 Freston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Freston in America

Freston is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Freston surname appeared 108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Freston.

The history of the last name Freston

The surname Freston is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, specifically a town or village called Freston, located in the county of Suffolk, England.

Freston was first recorded as "Fristuna" in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and settlements commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is derived from the Old English words "frisc" (fresh or new) and "tun" (farm or settlement), suggesting it may have been a newly established settlement at the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Freston dates back to the 13th century. In 1273, a Ralph de Freston was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Suffolk, a census-like survey of landholders and their holdings.

In the 14th century, a Thomas Freston was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, a record of taxpayers in the region. This suggests that the Freston family had established themselves as landowners or individuals of some means during this time.

Notable historical figures bearing the Freston surname include Sir John Freston (c. 1490-1565), a prominent English lawyer and judge during the Tudor period, who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another noteworthy individual was Robert Freston (1603-1680), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, John Freston (1719-1783) was a renowned English musician and composer, best known for his work on the violoncello and his contributions to the development of English chamber music.

The Freston name also has ties to the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Thomas Freston, who arrived in Virginia in 1635, as documented in the records of the Virginia Company.

Throughout history, the Freston surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Freston Hall in Suffolk, which was once the seat of the Freston family, and Freston Tower, a folly located in the same county.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Freston

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

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 Freston was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only91.67%99
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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.

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

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

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