Frie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Frie surname comes from the Middle High German word "vri," meaning "free," and as a name, it referred to a free man, as opposed to a bondsman or serf in the feudal system.

Early Origins of the Frie family

The surname Frie was first found in Bavaria, where the name Frey came from humble beginnings but eventually gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the region's medieval society. The family later became more prominent as many branches of the family acquired distant estates which elevated in turn their social status.

Early History of the Frie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frie research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1855 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Frie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frie Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Frie include Frey, Freye, Frei, Freie, Frie, Fraie, Vrey, Vreye, Vrei, Vreie and many more.

Early Notables of the Frie family

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

Frie migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Fries to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Frie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Frie, who settled in New England in 1638

Frie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Ulrich Frie, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1729
Jacob Frie, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1739

Frie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joh Bern Henr Frie, who arrived in America in 1850 1

Frie migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 2

Frie Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

George Frie, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635
Mr. George Frie, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Frie (post 1700) +

Forest G. Frie, American politician, Mayor of Brookings, South Dakota, 1964-70 4
Bob Frie, American politician, Mayor of Arvada, Colorado, 1981-89, 1991-99, 2007- 4
Frie Leysen (1950-2020), Belgian festival director

Citations +

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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html