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Freedman Family History

Freedman Surname Meaning

Altered form of South German, Swiss German, and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Friedmann or Friedman. This surname is also found in Britain.

It has been suggested that it may have been an English status name in the feudal system for a serf who had been freed, but there is no evidence to support this.

The earliest English example of this name is from the 18th century.

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


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Where is the Freedman family from?

You can see how Freedman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Freedman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Freedman families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 341 Freedman families living in London. This was about 51% of all the recorded Freedman's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Freedman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Freedman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Freedman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Tailor and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Freedman. 10% of Freedman men worked as a Tailor and 68% of Freedman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Freedman were Ladies Tailor and Tailoress.

View Census Data for Freedman | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Tailor
    10%
  • Master Tailor
    8%
  • Cabinet Maker
    6%
  • Ladies Tailor
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Tailoress
    3%

What Freedman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 90,000 census records available for the last name Freedman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Freedman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Freedman

Passenger Lists

There are 20,000 immigration records available for the last name Freedman. 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 Freedman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Freedman. For the veterans among your Freedman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Freedman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Freedman family history

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What is the average Freedman lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Freedman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Freedman in 1944 was 27, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Freedman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Freedman ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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