Fraunces History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Scotland
• Ireland

Etymology of Fraunces

One of the most common classes of Scottish surnames is the patronymic surname, which arose out of the vernacular and religious naming traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Patronymic surnames of this type were usually derived from the personal name of the original bearer's father. The surname Fraunces is derived from the popular medieval given name Franciscus. Fraunces is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed when a son used his father's personal name as a surname, but in this case, the surname was originally derived from the famous religious figure, St. Francis of Assisi. The Fraunces family was established in Derbyshire, prior to the Norman invasion of England, in 1066.

Early Origins of the Fraunces family

Early History of the Fraunces family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fraunces research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1143, 1189, 1190, 1213, 1249, 1307, 1314, 1400 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Fraunces History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fraunces Spelling Variations

Scottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Fraunces has also been spelled Francis, Frances, Franceys, Francies, Fraunces, Francys, Francess and many more.

Early Notables of the Fraunces family

More information is included under the topic Early Fraunces Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fraunces family to Ireland

Some of the Fraunces family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fraunces family

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Fraunces, or a variant listed above: Bedford Francis who settled in Virginia in 1642; James Francis settled in Virginia in 1640; William also settled in Virginia in 1653; Charles, Frederick, George, Henry, John, Patrick, Richard, Thomas and William Francis, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1860. Typical of the name is the Francis group who landed in Virginia in 1608.