History of your Surname
Get access to Defreese family records.Start a free trial

Defreese Family History

Defreese Name Meaning

Americanized form (also De Freese) of Dutch De Vries ‘the Frisian’ or of any of its variants such as De Vrieze (see Vrieze ). Compare Defrees Variant of Defrees 2 a surname of French origin (see Deforest ). This surname is found mainly in NY.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Defrees, Defreece, De Weese, Freese, De Rose, Frease, Frees, Deese

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Defreese family from?

You can see how Defreese families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Defreese family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Defreese families were found in and USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 8 Defreese families living in Quebec. This was 100% of all the recorded Defreese's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Defreese families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Defreese surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Defreese ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Defreese. 39% of Defreese men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Defreese women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Defreese were Chauffeur and Maid. .

View Census Data for Defreese | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Laborer
    39%
  • Carpenter
    8%
  • Chauffeur
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    34%
  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Maid
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Defreese family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Defreese. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Defreese census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Defreese

Passenger Lists

There are 40 immigration records available for the last name Defreese. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Defreese immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 363 military records available for the last name Defreese. For the veterans among your Defreese ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Defreese military records

You've only scratched the surface of Defreese family history

Discover More

What is the average Defreese lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Defreese life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Defreese in 1940 was 66, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Defreese

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Defreese family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Defreese last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial