Show ContentsFrisk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Frisk family

The surname Frisk was first found in Lincolnshire in the parish of Friskney where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Friskney, held by Chetelbern a Norman noble who was under tenant to the King and recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. "The church [of Friskney in Lincolnshire] is in the ancient English style, and contains some elegant monuments to the Booths, and one, lately discovered, representing a knight in chain-armour, sculptured in soft sandstone, with the arms of Friskney emblazoned." 1

Early History of the Frisk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frisk research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1193 is included under the topic Early Frisk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frisk Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Frisk have been found, including Friskney, Freskney, Freskeny, Freshney, Frishney, Friskenny, Frisknie, Frisknay and many more.

Early Notables of the Frisk family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Friskney of Lincolnshire

Frisk Ranking

In the United States, the name Frisk is the 17,770th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Frisk migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Frisk were among those contributors:

Frisk Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Margery Frisk, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 3
  • John Frisk, who arrived in New England in 1645 3
Frisk Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eal Frisk, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1788 3
Frisk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • H. Frisk, who settled in San Francisco in 1851
  • C. J. Frisk, who arrived in Illinois in 1882
  • Carrie Frisk, who settled in St. Paul, MN in 1885

New Zealand Frisk migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Frisk Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Frisk, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1863 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Frisk (post 1700) +

  • Phil Frisk (b. 1941), American politician, Workers League Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1992 5
  • Frank O. Frisk, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1952, 1956 5
  • Edwin J. Frisk, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Des Moines, Iowa, 1925-34 5


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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