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Free Family History

Free Surname Meaning

English: nickname or status name from Middle English fre ‘free’ (Old English frēo) with reference to either tenurial status (‘free born’) or to character (‘noble generous open-handed’).

Irish: variant of Freeman.

Americanized form of Swiss German and German Frei and Frey.

North German: nickname from a variant of Middle Low German wrēd ‘wild fierce angry’.

Americanized form of Ferree or Ferrée, a surname of French origin.

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


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Where is the Free family from?

You can see how Free families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Free family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Free families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 200 Free families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Free's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Free families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Free 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 Free ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Free. 12% of Free men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Free women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Free were Farm Labourer Heavy Worker and Housewife.

View Census Data for Free | 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

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Postman
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Farm Labourer Heavy Worker
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Free family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 80,000 census records available for the last name Free. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Free census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Free

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Free. 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 Free immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 36,000 military records available for the last name Free. For the veterans among your Free ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Free military records

You've only scratched the surface of Free family history

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What is the average Free lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Free life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Free in 1940 was 66, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Free

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Free 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Free family tree

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