Contents [hide]

Franck History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Franck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany-Alt
Germany
Israel
Ireland

The earliest origins of the Franck surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a person who was referred to as being free or generous. The surname was originally derived from the Old French franc, which meant "liberal, generous." In this case, the name would have been initially bestowed as a nickname either on someone who was generous or in an ironic way on someone who was stingy. The surname also has origins from the Norman official title, the frank which also means free. To confuse matters more, the surname could have been derived from the Norman personal name "Franc," which was originally an ethnic name for one of Frankish race.

Early Origins of the Franck family

The surname Franck was first found in the Domesday Book where bearers of the name Franck were granted lands in Shropshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Surrey. The name appears with some frequency in various counties between the 11th and 14th centuries; early bearers of the name include Ricardus filius Franke, who was living in London in 1188, and Ricardus Franc, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Essex in 1201. 1

Early History of the Franck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Franck research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1613, 1624, 1640, 1664, 1708 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Franck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Franck Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Franck are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Franck include: Frank, Franks, Franke, Frankes, Frenk, Frink and many more.

Early Notables of the Franck family

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

Franck Ranking

In the United States, the name Franck is the 8,834^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Franck is ranked the 1,284^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,395 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Franck family to Ireland

Some of the Franck family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Franck migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Franck or a variant listed above:

Franck Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniell Franck, who landed in Virginia in 1622 4
Robet Franck, who landed in Virginia in 1664 4
Michael Franck, who landed in Maryland in 1665 4
Thomas Franck, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 4
Robert Franck, who arrived in Maryland in 1680 4

Franck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Franck, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 4
Jon Franck, who landed in New York in 1710 4
Joh Wilhelm Franck, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
Danl Franck, aged 8, who arrived in South Carolina in 1732 4
Anna Susana Franck, aged 48, who arrived in South Carolina in 1732 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Franck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Hinr Franck, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 4
Egeroth Franck, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 4
Theodore Franck, who landed in Ncw York, NY in 1844 4
Gustav Franck, aged 18, who arrived in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "B. Bohlen"
Nicholas Franck, aged 36, who landed in Missouri in 1848 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Franck migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Franck Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

George Franck, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749

Contemporary Notables of the name Franck (post 1700) +

James Franck (1882-1964), German-born American winner of the Nobel Prize for physics in 1924
Harry A. Franck (1881-1962), American travel writer
Johann Franck (1618-1677), German poet and hymn-writer
Kaj Franck (1911-1989), Finnish designer
Julia Franck (b. 1970), German writer
César Franck (1822-1890), Belgian composer of the Romantic era
Franck Berrier (1984-2021), French professional footballer who played as a midfielder
Franck Berteau, French hair stylist, known for Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train (1998), Coluche: l'histoire d'un mec (2008) and Female Agents (2008)
Franck Badiou (b. 1967), French silver medalist sports shooter at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Franck Azzopardi (b. 1970), French former professional footballer who played from 1989 to 2005

The Franck Motto +

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: Non nobis nati
Motto Translation: Born not for ourselves

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)