Frude History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Frude

What does the name Frude mean?

A Viking family in ancient Scotland was the first to use the name Frude. It was a name for a clever person. The nickname comes from the Old Norse, and was brought to Scotland by Viking Raiders who settled in the Orkney Islands in the 9th century, after being evicted from their holdings in Norway. Those settlers were led by Sigurd the Stout. There is also a place-name Frude, found in Tweedsmuir, Peebles (now part of the Strathclyde and Border regions). It is possible that the surname came from the place-name, however, the opposite derivation is more probable.

Early Origins of the Frude family

The surname Frude was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Frude family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frude research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1544 is included under the topic Early Frude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frude Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes most often spelled names by the way they sounded. spelling variations, are thus, very common in records dating from that time. Over the years, Frude has been spelled Froud, Froude, Frowd, Frowde, Frude, Frood and others.

Early Notables of the Frude family

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

Migration of the Frude family

The Scottish settlers spread out along the fertile land of the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. They and many of their children went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. That heritage has been recovered by many in this century through Clan societies and other Scottish historical organizations. Archival documents indicate that members of the Frude family relocated to North American shores quite early: James Froud, who settled in New England in 1766; and a William Frowd, who came to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, in 1766.