Francess History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Scotland were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Scottish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Francess is derived from the popular medieval given name Franciscus. Francess is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed when a son used his father's personal name as a surname, but in this case, the surname was originally derived from the famous religious figure, St. Francis of Assisi. The Francess family was established in Derbyshire, prior to the Norman invasion of England, in 1066.

Early Origins of the Francess family

The surname Francess was first found in Derbyshire, 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 Francess family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Francess research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1143, 1189, 1190, 1213, 1249, 1307, 1314, 1400 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Francess History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Francess Spelling Variations

The frequent translations of surnames from and into Gaelic, accounts for the multitude of spelling variations found in Scottish surnames. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation, or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Francess has also been spelled Francis, Frances, Franceys, Francies, Fraunces, Francys, Francess and many more.

Early Notables of the Francess family

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

Migration of the Francess family to Ireland

Some of the Francess family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Francess family

Some of the first North American settlers with Francess name or one of its variants: Bedford Francis who settled in Virginia in 1642; James Francis settled in Virginia in 1640; William also settled in Virginia in 1653; Charles, Frederick, George, Henry, John, Patrick, Richard, Thomas and William Francis, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1860. Typical of the name is the Francis group who landed in Virginia in 1608.

Contemporary Notables of the name Francess (post 1700) +

Francess Halpenny CC, FRSC (b. 1919), Canadian editor and professor