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Fretwell Family History

Fretwell Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): variant of the Norman surname de Frescheville from an unidentified place in France named Frècheville. The English surname Freshfield is also derived from this placename. The surname Fretwell is attested in Derbyshire from the 13th century.

Alternative possibilities include minor placenames in the Midlands or north of England such as Fretwell Close in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, or the lost Frethewell in Morton, Nottinghamshire, but there is currently no evidence to support these origins.

English: habitational name from Fritwell, Oxfordshire which is possibly derived from Old English freht, fyrht, firht ‘augury’ and w(i)elle ‘well’, meaning ‘wishing well’.

This name is recorded as Fretewell in 1203 and Fritewell in 1236.

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


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Where is the Fretwell family from?

You can see how Fretwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fretwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fretwell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 577 Fretwell families living in Yorkshire. This was about 44% of all the recorded Fretwell's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Fretwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fretwell 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 Fretwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Colliery Hewer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Fretwell. 11% of Fretwell men worked as a Colliery Hewer and 75% of Fretwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fretwell were Farm Labourer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Fretwell | 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

  • Colliery Hewer
    11%
  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Colliery Hewer Heavy Worker
    8%
  • Farm Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housekeeper
    2%

What Fretwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Fretwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fretwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fretwell

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Fretwell. 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 Fretwell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Fretwell. For the veterans among your Fretwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fretwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fretwell family history

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What is the average Fretwell lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Fretwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Fretwell in 1946 was 28, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fretwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fretwell 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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