The Freedman surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,913 people carried this name — #3,985 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 33,100 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (8,926).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Freedman surname

A freed slave surname originating as an occupation.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Freedman» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 44 people named Freedman live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 27
City of Buenos Aires 17

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Freedman in American newspapers,
1899–1902.

Newspaper page from Barre Evening Telegram carrying the name Freedman
Barre Evening Telegram 1899-04-22
Newspaper page from Rawlins Republican carrying the name Freedman
Rawlins Republican 1902-04-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 67,187 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Freedman in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

12,077 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Freedman. The most, 2,400, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 4.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 4,529
Victoria 3,366
New South Wales 2,549
Queensland 1,067
South Australia 362
ACT (Canberra) 84
Tasmania 83
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Freedman.

Who carried it

People named Freedman,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Andrew Freedman
    Andrew Freedman 1860–1915 · businessperson
  • Benjamin Harrison Freedman
    Benjamin Harrison Freedman 1890–1984 · politician
  • David Freedman
    David Freedman 1898–1936 · playwright
  • David Isaac Freedman 1874–1939 · rabbi
  • Max C. Freedman 1893–1962 · lyricist
  • Harold Freedman 1896–1966 · literary agent

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Freedman,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,389 records

3,389 records of the Freedman name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,637
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 805
  • Other U.S. records 947
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert E. Freedman

    Born 1901 in Wyoming. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York; salesman. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Annie Freedman

    Arrived at New York in 1895 aboard the Paris from Southampton, aged 23; machinist. From Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Israel Freedman

    U.S. Army veteran of World War I. Born 1888, died 1959; buried at Bay Pines National Cemetery, Florida.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 3,389 records for Freedman in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia187 records

187 records of the Freedman name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 133
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 40
  • Other Australian records 14
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sampson Freedman

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Hankow, aged 17; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Benjamin Freedman

    Tobacconist of Geelong, Victoria; died 1947.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Biographical index David Isaac Freedman

    Born 1874, died 1939; obituary published in Western Australia.

    State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 187 records for Freedman in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada17 records

17 records of the Freedman name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Norma Freedman

    Died 1993, aged 68; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Sarah Freedman

    Died 1902 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Israel Freedman

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 17 records for Freedman in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands9 records

9 records of the Freedman name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frances Freedman

    Married in 1927 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Pieter Freedman

    Baptised in 1766 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Cornelia Alida Freedman

    In the population register of Utrecht; born 1866 in Jutphaas.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Freedman in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Freedman name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Freedman

    Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record M. Freedman

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record I. Freedman

    Jyal Scots. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Freedman in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France4 records

4 records of the Freedman name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Saundra Mae Freedman

    Born 1940 in Canada; died 1996 in the United States.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Morris Freedman

    Born 1924 in the United Kingdom; died 1992 in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Annie Freedman

    Born 1917 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Fréjus (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Freedman in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Freedman.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Freedman is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Freedman volume
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