Many of the Irish surnames that are now common throughout the Western world have Gaelic origins. The Irish Gaelic form of the name Fryel is Ó Firgil, which later became Ó Frigil; the name means "man of valor."
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Early Origins of the Fryel family
The surname Fryel was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The O'Firghil were descended from Eoghan, brother of St. Columcille. They were hereditary co-arbs of Kilmacrenan in County Donegal.
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Early History of the Fryel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fryel research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1299, 1538 and 1573 are included under the topic Early Fryel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Fryel Spelling Variations
In the days before Gaelic or English gained any significant semblance of standardization, the scribes who created documents simply recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research into the Fryel family history revealed numerous spelling variations of the name, including Friel, Freel, O'Friel, O'Freel, Freiel, O'Freiel, Frehill and many more.
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Early Notables of the Fryel family
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fryel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Fryel family
In the 18th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants landed on North American shores. Although many of them were merely looking for a free plot of land and living of their very own, many later immigrants were desperately fleeing an overcrowded land that did not have sufficient food for its inhabitants. The exodus from Ireland was greatest during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine had stricken the island. Although this large influx of Irish was unpopular with the great majority of people already established within the major centers, these Irish were critical to the speedy development of the United States and those colonies that would eventually become known as Canada. These immigrants provided the cheap labor required to build modern roads, bridges, canals, and railways. Research of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of immigrants to North America baring the name of Fryel: Morris and Catherine O'Freiel (also spelled O'Friel) who settled in Augusta County, Virginia in 1740; William Friel landed in America in 1709 with his wife, son, and daughter.
Ireland
