Frissell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The origins of the Frissell 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 Frissell 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 Frissell surname.

Early Origins of the Frissell family

The surname Frissell 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 records include Gilbert Fraser, who witnessed a charter by Walter Olifard in 1210. A later Sir Simon known as "the Scottish Patriot" was a supporter of Sir William Wallace in the struggle for independence.

Early History of the Frissell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frissell research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1293, 1302, 1332, 1375, 1537, 1607, 1610, 1623, 1654, 1667, 1681, 1692, 1715, 1746, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Frissell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frissell 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 Frissell family

Notable among the family at this time was Sir Alexander Fraser (d. 1332), Great Chamberlain of Scotland, the eldest son of Sir Andrew Fraser, who was sheriff of Stirling in 1293. 1 Sir Alexander Fraser (1537?-1623), of Philorth, was founder of Fraserburgh, and was the eldest son of Alexander Fraser, son and heir of Alexander, seventh laird of Philorth. 1 Sir Alexander Fraizer (1610?-1681), was...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frissell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Frissell family to Ireland

Some of the Frissell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frissell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Frissell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Dan, Frissell Sr., who landed in Virginia in 1654 2
John Frissell, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Frissell (post 1700) +

Walter E. Frissell, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Killingly; Elected 1920 3
Sidney S. Frissell, American Republican politician, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Keene 2nd Ward; Elected 1938 3
John Frissell Crellin MC JP CP (b. 1889), Member of the House of Keys in the Isle of Man

The Frissell 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: Je suis prest
Motto Translation: I am ready.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html