Show ContentsFrisell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Frisell family name are somewhat of a mystery. The earliest recorded versions of the name, from the 12th century, are de Fresel, de Friselle and de Freseliere, which appear to be Norman; however they have never been found in Normandy itself. The other possibility is that the name was derived from Gaelic, but no-one has been able to locate a Gaelic name from which Frisell might be derived. It is thought that it was in later years that the "fraisse," or strawBerry was adopted as part of the Armorial bearings of this family due to the similarity of the pronunciation of this French word to the Frisell surname.

Early Origins of the Frisell family

The surname Frisell was first found in Tweedale, Peebles-shire, where Sir Simon Frasee held part of the lands of Keith. There is a record of Symon Fraser giving the church of Keith to the Abbey of Kelso in Circa 1160.

Early History of the Frisell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frisell research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1210, 1302, 1375, 1667, 1692, 1746, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Frisell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frisell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Frazer, Fraser, Frasher, Frisell, Frasee, Frazie, Frazier, Friselle, Fresser, Friser, Fryssar, Fressell, Fresal, Fresale, Frichell, Fraysser, Fresall, Fresle, Fresill, Fressair, Fraisser and many more.

Early Notables of the Frisell family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frisell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Frisell family to Ireland

Some of the Frisell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Frisell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Frisell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • George Frisell, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 1
  • Thomas Frisell, who arrived in Maryland in 1651 1
  • John Frisell, who landed in Maryland in 1652 1
  • Susan Frisell, who landed in Maryland in 1652 1
  • Alexander Frisell, who landed in Maryland in 1657 1
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Frisell (post 1700) +

  • William Richard "Bill" Frisell (b. 1951), American guitarist, composer and arranger from Baltimore, Maryland
  • Fraser Frisell (1774-1846), Scottish friend of Chateaubriand and Joubert who while being educated in France was thrown into prison at Dijon, where he remained for fifteen months 2
  • Erik Hjalmar Frisell (1889-1944), Swedish military officer and sports shooter who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics
  • Hjalmar Frisell (1880-1967), Swedish sports shooter who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics
  • Erik Frisell (1889-1944), Swedish track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics


The Frisell 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: All my hope is in God
Motto Translation: All my hope is in God.


  1. 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)
  2. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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