2000
#14,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,941
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Freel
Derived from the Irish Ó Fithcheallaigh, meaning "descendant of Fithcheallach," a personal name composed of the elements "fith" (knowledge) and "ceallach" (war).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,196 Americans carry the last name Freel. That puts it at #14,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,081 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Freel 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 Freel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,081
Census rank
#14,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,915 bearers of the surname Freel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Freel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Freel
The surname Freel is of Scottish origin, believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "frìdh," meaning "a deer forest" or "a hunting ground," suggesting that the name may have originated from a location known for its abundance of deer or a place where hunting was a common activity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Frele" and "Friel," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that period.
The Freel surname is closely associated with the Clan Campbell, one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Scottish Highlands. The name is particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire, where the Clan Campbell held significant territories and influence.
In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the name Freel was John Freel, a Scottish landowner and laird who lived in the Highlands during the latter half of the century. His exact dates of birth and death are unknown, but records indicate that he played a role in the ongoing conflicts between the Scottish clans during that turbulent period.
Another prominent figure with the Freel surname was William Freel, a Scottish scholar and theologian born in 1639. He studied at the University of St. Andrews and later became a minister in the Church of Scotland. Freel was known for his influential writings on religious topics and his contributions to the theological discourse of his time.
In the 18th century, Alexander Freel, born in 1712, was a Scottish merchant and trader who established a successful business exporting goods to the American colonies. His commercial endeavors and connections played a significant role in facilitating trade between Scotland and the British colonies in North America.
Moving into the 19th century, Robert Freel, born in 1827, was a Scottish inventor and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines. His innovations in the field of steam power were widely recognized and helped pave the way for the industrial revolution in Scotland and beyond.
Throughout its history, the Freel surname has been linked to various place names and locations in Scotland, such as Freeland, Freelands, and Frielandmuir, further cementing its Scottish roots and providing clues about the origins of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Freel
Among Census respondents with the surname Freel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Freel 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 Freel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 1,759
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 64
- Two or more races3.2% · 62
- Black or African American1.1% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Freel
Freel 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
#14,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,058
+117 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 300 places
2020
#14,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,915
-143 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 359 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,195 | 1,941 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,495 | 2,058 | 0.70 | +117 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 300 places |
| 2020 | #14,854 | 1,915 | 0.64 | -143 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 359 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 Freel 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 | #14,495 | #14,854 | -2.5% |
| Count | 2,058 | 1,915 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.64 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Freel bearers went from 2,058 to 1,915 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 359 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,495 to #14,854.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Freel
FAQ
Freel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Freel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,196 living Americans carry the surname Freel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,081 residents.
How common is Freel?
Freel ranks #14,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,915 people with the surname Freel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Freel.
Has Freel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Freel went from 2,058 recorded bearers to 1,915. That is a decrease of 143 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,495 to #14,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Freel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Freel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Freel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (1,759 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Freel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Freel (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 Freel mean?
Derived from the Irish Ó Fithcheallaigh, meaning "descendant of Fithcheallach," a personal name composed of the elements "fith" (knowledge) and "ceallach" (war). 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 Freel (0.64 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 share the surname Freel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.