Contents [hide]

Frink History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Frink History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Frink is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to 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 Frink family

The surname Frink was first found in the Domesday Book where bearers of the name Frink 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 Frink family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frink 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 Frink History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frink Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Frink were recorded, including Frank, Franks, Franke, Frankes, Frenk, Frink and many more.

Early Notables of the Frink family

Notables of the family at this time include

Calvin Frink (c.1775), a British army surgeon

Frink Ranking

In the United States, the name Frink is the 6,495^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Frink family to Ireland

Some of the Frink 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.

Frink migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Frink family emigrate to North America:

Frink Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Frink, who landed in New England in 1699 3

Frink Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christopher Frink, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 3

Frink Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William F. Frink, who was naturalized in Newhaven, Connecticut in 1845
Mr. Christopher Frink, aged 34, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes"
Mrs. Ann S. Frink, aged 30, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes"
Miss Frink, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes"
Mr. Jacob Frink, aged 5, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Frink migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Frink Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Hester Frink U.E., "Cuyler" (b. 1759) born in Holland who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1824 in St. Stephens 4
Capt. Nathan Frink U.E. born in Pomfret, Connecticut, USA who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the American Legion 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Frink (post 1700) +

Major-General James Luke Frink (1885-1977), American Deputy Quartermaster-General US Army (1942-1943) 5
Everett A. Frink, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Chaplin; Elected 1908 6
Elisha Frink, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Stafford, 1839 6
David Frink, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New London, 1825 6
Darius Frink, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 1st District, 1865-67 6
Daniel Frink, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 7th District, 1880-81 6
Clinton Edward Frink (1884-1968), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Canterbury, 1925-28 6
Charles L. Frink (b. 1849), American politician, Mayor of North Adams, Massachusetts, 1911-12 6
Bettye Frink, American politician, Secretary of State of Alabama, 1959-63; Alabama State Auditor, 1963-67 6
Albert H. Frink, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 2nd District, 1918, 1920 6
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Frink 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/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) James Frink. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Frink/James_Luke/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html