| ![Show Contents]() Friant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Friant is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was a name for someone who was a person who was considered to be very good-natured and neighborly. The surname is derived from the Old English word frend which meant friend. During the Middle Ages people would use this word when they referred to their relatives or their kinsmen. Early Origins of the Friant familyThe surname Friant was first found in Somerset 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 Friant familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Friant research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1667, 1669, 1675, 1683, 1696, 1714, 1715, 1728, 1745, 1751, 1754 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Friant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Friant Spelling VariationsFriant has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Friant have been found, including Friend, Freind, Frend and others. Early Notables of the Friant familyNotables of the family at this time include Sir John Friend (Freind) (died 1696), was an English conspirator arraigned for high treason at the Old Bailey, 23 March 1696, denied the assistance of counsel and executed at Tyburn 3 April 1696. 1John Freind (1675-1728), was an English physician and politician, a younger brother of Robert Freind, born at Croton (or Croughton), near Brackley in Northamptonshire, of which place his father, William Freind...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Friant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Friant familyIn an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Friants to arrive on North American shores: John Friend who settled in New England in 1640; Rowland and Susannah Friend settled in New England in 1733; Charles, George, Henry, Jacob, Martin, Norman and William Friend all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Friant (post 1700) | + |
- Louis Friant, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 2
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