Frazer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
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Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Frazer

What does the name Frazer mean?

The origins of the Frazer family name are somewhat of a mystery. The earliest recorded versions of the name, from the 12th century, are de Fresel, de Friselle and de Freseliere, which appear to be Norman; however they have never been found in Normandy itself. The other possibility is that the name was derived from Gaelic, but no-one has been able to locate a Gaelic name from which Frazer might be derived. It is thought that it was in later years that the "fraisse," or strawBerry was adopted as part of the Armorial bearings of this family due to the similarity of the pronunciation of this French word to the Frazer surname.

Frazer Coat of Arms Creation

Lord Lovat, as the head of the Clan Fraser, has a buck's head as crest, and the motto is "Je suis pret" (I am ready). Stags or bucks are carried as crests or in coats of arms because of their good natural qualities, and as signs of the bearer's jurisdiction and liberty of hunting in forests and parks. There are strawberry leaves in the Fraser shield, and some from this assume that the name Fraser is derived from fraise, the French for strawberry. The story is that in the reign of Charles the Simple, Julius de Berry, a nobleman of Bourbon, entertained that monarch to a dish of very fine strawberries, and for doing this was knighted, and strawberry leaves were given him for his arms, and had his name changed from de Berry to Fraiseur or Frizelle.

It is asserted that the first Frasers came to Britain with William the Conqueror. In Scotland, the first of them were settled in Scotland in the time of Malcolm Canmore, when surnames were first used. The Frasers are now a numerous clan, especially in Inverness-shire. They got the crowns in their arms when an ancestor married a niece of King Robert I. 1

Early Origins of the Frazer family

The surname Frazer was first found in Tweedale, Peebles-shire, where Sir Simon Frasee held part of the lands of Keith. There is a record of Symon Fraser giving the church of Keith to the Abbey of Kelso in Circa 1160. Early records include Gilbert Fraser, who witnessed a charter by Walter Olifard in 1210. A later Sir Simon known as "the Scottish Patriot" was a supporter of Sir William Wallace in the struggle for independence.

Early History of the Frazer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frazer research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1293, 1302, 1332, 1375, 1537, 1607, 1610, 1623, 1654, 1667, 1681, 1692, 1715, 1746, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Frazer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frazer Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Frazer, Fraser, Frasher, Frisell, Frasee, Frazie, Frazier, Friselle, Fresser, Friser, Fryssar, Fressell, Fresal, Fresale, Frichell, Fraysser, Fresall, Fresle, Fresill, Fressair, Fraisser and many more.

Early Notables of the Frazer family

Notable among the family at this time was Sir Alexander Fraser (d. 1332), Great Chamberlain of Scotland, the eldest son of Sir Andrew Fraser, who was sheriff of Stirling in 1293. 2Sir Alexander Fraser (1537?-1623), of Philorth, was founder of Fraserburgh, and was the eldest son of Alexander Fraser, son and heir of Alexander, seventh laird of Philorth. 2Sir Alexander Fraizer (1610?-1681), was...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frazer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frazer Ranking

In the United States, the name Frazer is the 4,287^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Frazer family to Ireland

Some of the Frazer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frazer migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Frazer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Frazer, who purchased land in New England in 1684
Margaret Frazer, who landed in the West Indies in 1684
John Frazer, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 4

Frazer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dunkliant Frazer, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 4
John Frazer, who settled in South Carolina in 1716
Daniel Frazer, who landed in South Carolina in 1716 4
Hugh Frazer, who arrived in Georgia in 1735 4
Robert Frazer, with his wife, Mary McLean, and six children, settled in New York in 1739
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Frazer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Frazer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1803 4
Duncan Frazer, aged 51, who landed in Ohio in 1812 4
Francis Frazer, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1813 4
Jane Frazer, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 4
Joseph Frazer, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Frazer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Frazer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Frazer, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Alexander Frazer, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
David Frazer, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Francis Frazer U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 5
Mr. James Frazer U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Frazer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Frazer, aged 30, Scottish settler who arrived in Churchill in 1812 before arriving in the Red River, Canada in 1814

Frazer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Frazer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Frazer, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
Miss Sophia Frazer, (Frayer, Trayer) who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 20th November 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia and Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Alexander Frazer, a painter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Miss Ann Frazer, (Fraser), (b. 1808), aged 18, Irish needle woman who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
James Frazer, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia, he was convicted for returning home and sent back on "Fairlie" in 1833. 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Frazer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Frazer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Duncan Frazer, aged 40, a blacksmith, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Margaret Frazer, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
John Frazer, aged 17, a blacksmith, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Catherine Frazer, aged 16, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Isabella Frazer, aged 15, a housemaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Frazer (post 1700) +

Daniel Thomas "Dan" Frazer (1921-2011), American actor, best known for his role as Captain Frank McNeil in the 1970s TV police drama Kojak
John Wesley Frazer (1827-1906), American soldier, planter, and businessman
Zachary David Frazer (b. 1988), American football quarterback
Persifor Frazer (1736-1792), American farmer, soldier, and industrialist
Paula Frazer (b. 1963), American singer-songwriter
Donald P. Frazer, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1949; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1952 10
Donald A. Frazer, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Salem, 1920 10
D. R. Frazer (b. 1921), American Democratic Party politician, Served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II 10
Bart Frazer (b. 1967), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 2004 10
Arthur H. Frazer, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Cromwell; elected 1918; first selectman of Cromwell, Connecticut, 1920 10
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Frazer family +

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Eugene Melvin Frazer, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mrs. Minnie Allice Frazer, (nee McCall), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. Melvin E. Frazer, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

Frazer Motto and War Cry +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Je suis prest
Motto Translation: I am ready.
War Cry: "Castle Dounie"

Sources +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html