Explore the Family Name Freer
The meaning of Freer
1. English: sometimes from Middle English frere, frier ‘brother, friend, comrade’ (Old French frere). During the 13th century, however, the word increasingly denoted ‘member of one of the mendicant religious orders’, the usual modern sense of the word friar. The first friars arrived in England in 1224. As with Abbot, Monk, Nunn, and Prior, late medieval use of Frere as a nickname was probably uncomplimentary, for by the mid-14th century the once popular friars had become a byword in satirical literature for self-indulgent, smooth-talking hypocrisy. Friars were not allowed to marry, but some of them probably fathered children. After the Reformation former friars were free to marry, and one such is said to have been the progenitor of the Friers of Melrose parish, Roxburgh, an instance, if true, of post-medieval surname creation. The name may also be occupational, for someone who lived or worked at a friary (Middle English frere ‘house of friars’). 2. Americanized form of French Frère (see Frere). 3. German: cognate of Friedrich. History: This surname (see 2 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (along with its original form Frère) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Freer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Freer has slightly changed over the course of a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 8712th most common name in the United States and by 2010, it had dropped to 8917th, a decline of about 2.35%. However, the actual number of individuals with the Freer surname increased from 3,471 to 3,671 during the same period, representing an increase of 5.76%. The proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased from 1.29 in 2000 to 1.24 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,712 | #8,917 | -2.35% |
| Count | 3,471 | 3,671 | 5.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.29 | 1.24 | -3.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Freer
Delving into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Freer, the Decennial U.S. Census data unveils slight changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority of those holding the Freer surname identified as white, although this percentage slightly decreased from 91.47% to 90.30%. There was a noticeable increase in individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander background and those identifying with two or more races – rising by 20.00% and 77.89% respectively. Meanwhile, there was a small uptick in those identifying as Hispanic from 2.97% to 3.46%, while the percentage of Black respondents slightly declined by 2.75%. Those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a decrease from 0.95% to 0.82%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.47% | 90.3% | -1.28% |
| Hispanic | 2.97% | 3.46% | 16.5% |
| Black | 2.91% | 2.83% | -2.75% |
| Two or More Races | 0.95% | 1.69% | 77.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.75% | 0.9% | 20% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.95% | 0.82% | -13.68% |
Freer ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Freer is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.1%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Italian, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 27.1% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 16.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Freer
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Freer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
What Freer haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Freer is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Freer surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Freer have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Freer" Surname 58.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Freer" Surname 47.1%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Freer" Surname 24.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Freer" Surname 14.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Freer?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Freer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition