Frames History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Frames comes from a name for a person who was considered brave and vigorous. 1 The surname Frames originally derived from the Old English word fram which referred to a vigorous quality. 2 The surname Frames belongs to a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames. Nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Early Origins of the Frames family

The surname Frames was first found in Devon, where John filius Frame was record in 1250. Later, Geoffrey Frame was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk and Suffolk in 1196. 1

Much further north in Scotland, "several persons of this name are recorded in the Commissariot Records of Campsie and of Lanark. Adam Frame 1495. Arthur Fram, [was a] witness in Glasgow, 1551. Daniel Frame, burgess in Edinburgh, 1642, William Fram is recorded in parish of Calder, 1679, and William fframe in Mauldslie was warded in the Canongate Tolbooth, Edinbergh, 1683." 3

Early History of the Frames family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frames research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1273, 1279, 1551, 1577, 1642, 1664, 1700, 1719, 1726, 1733 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Frames History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frames Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Frames include Frame, Fram, Frayme, Fraym, Fraim, Fraime and others.

Early Notables of the Frames family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frames Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Frames family to Ireland

Some of the Frames family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 146 words (10 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 Frames family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Frames or a variant listed above: John Frame who settled in Virginia in 1637; Rebecca Frame purchased land in Virginia in 1656; and William Frame landed in Barbados in 1680; Mathias Frame settled in Maryland in 1735.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)