2000
#13,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,010
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Fretwell
Derived from a place name meaning "stream with a footbridge" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,319 Americans carry the last name Fretwell. That puts it at #14,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,803 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fretwell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fretwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,803
Census rank
#14,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,022 bearers of the surname Fretwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fretwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fretwell
The surname Fretwell has its roots in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a wooded area, derived from the Old English words "frith" meaning wood or forest, and "well" meaning a spring or stream.
In the early days, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Frithwell, Frethwell, and Frythewell, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations common during that time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, a medieval tax record dating back to 1176, where it appears as "Fretewelle."
The Fretwell surname has been found in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places that may have influenced the name's origin, such as "Frith" in Derbyshire and "Fretherne" in Gloucestershire.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Fretwell was John Fretwell, a prominent landowner in Staffordshire, who lived during the 13th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Fretwell, a wealthy merchant from London, who lived from 1555 to 1621.
In the 17th century, the Fretwell family established a strong presence in the county of Yorkshire. One of the most notable members of this branch was William Fretwell (1638-1709), a Quaker minister and writer who published several religious works.
During the 18th century, the Fretwell name gained prominence in the field of education. Joseph Fretwell (1727-1802) was a renowned educator and headmaster of the Quaker school in Ackworth, Yorkshire, while his son, Joseph Fretwell Jr. (1762-1833), followed in his footsteps and became a respected teacher and author of educational texts.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Fretwell surname was William Fretwell (1782-1858), a prominent industrialist and iron manufacturer from Staffordshire. He played a significant role in the development of the region's industrial landscape during the Industrial Revolution.
Throughout history, the Fretwell surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and merchants to educators, writers, and industrialists. While its origins can be traced back to ancient English roots, the name has spread across the globe, carried by generations of Fretwells who have left their mark in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fretwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Fretwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fretwell 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 Fretwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 1,709
- Black or African American4.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 95
- Two or more races3.7% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fretwell
Fretwell 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
#14,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,106
+96 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 432 places
2020
#14,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,022
-84 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,806 | 2,010 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,238 | 2,106 | 0.71 | +96 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 432 places |
| 2020 | #14,253 | 2,022 | 0.68 | -84 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 15 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 Fretwell 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 | #14,238 | #14,253 | -0.1% |
| Count | 2,106 | 2,022 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.68 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fretwell bearers went from 2,106 to 2,022 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,238 to #14,253.
FAQ
Fretwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fretwell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,319 living Americans carry the surname Fretwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,803 residents.
How common is Fretwell?
Fretwell ranks #14,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,022 people with the surname Fretwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Fretwell.
Has Fretwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fretwell went from 2,106 recorded bearers to 2,022. That is a decrease of 84 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,238 to #14,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Fretwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fretwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Fretwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (1,709 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fretwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Fretwell (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 Fretwell mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "stream with a footbridge" in Old English. 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 Fretwell (0.68 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 Fretwell?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Fretwell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.