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Friel Family History

Friel Surname Meaning

Irish (mainly Donegal and now also in Glasgow): from Gaelic Ó Frighil which is a metathesized form of Ó Fearghail (see Farrell).

German: from a pet form of the personal name Friedrich.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Friel family from?

You can see how Friel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Friel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Friel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 23 Friel families living in Lancashire. This was about 40% of all the recorded Friel's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Friel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Friel 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 Friel 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 Friel. 100% of Friel men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Friel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Friel | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Hoffman Presser
    11%
  • House Duties
    7%
  • Waitress
    7%

What Friel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Friel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Friel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Friel

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Friel. For the veterans among your Friel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Friel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Friel family history

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What is the average Friel lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Friel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Friel in 1943 was 41, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Friel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Friel 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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