Fredericks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The earliest origins of the name Fredericks date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name Frederick. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.
Early Origins of the Fredericks family
The surname Fredericks was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat from very early times.
Early History of the Fredericks family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fredericks research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1601, 1655, 1656, 1679 and 1685 are included under the topic Early Fredericks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Fredericks Spelling Variations
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Fredericks include Frederick, Fredericks, Frederic, Frary and others.
Early Notables of the Fredericks family
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fredericks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Fredericks Ranking
In the United States, the name Fredericks is the 4,365th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in South Africa, the name Fredericks is ranked the 416th most popular surname with an estimated 17,276 people with that name. 2
Fredericks migration to the United States +
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Fredericks or a variant listed above:
Fredericks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Willem Fredericks, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1642 3
Fredericks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Carl W Fredericks, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1786 3
- Dort Fredericks, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1786 3
- Wilhelmina Fredericks, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1786 3
Fredericks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Adam Fredericks, who settled in New York in 1800
- Adam Fredericks, aged 45, who arrived in New York in 1800 3
- Andrew Fredericks, who settled in Philadelphia in 1834
- Geertruida Joh Fredericks, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 3
- O N Fredericks, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Fredericks migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Fredericks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. George Fredericks, English convict who was convicted in Newington, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia 4
Fredericks 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:
Fredericks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Fredericks, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th August 1859 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Fredericks (post 1700) +
- Kevin Albert Francis Fredericks (b. 1976), retired American professional baseball player
- Benjamin Todd Fredericks (1834-1903), American miner, businessman, real estate agent
- Carole Denise Fredericks (1952-2001), American singer
- Robert H. Fredericks, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives 63rd District, 1974; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1988 6
- John Donnan Fredericks (1869-1945), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from California 10th District, 1923-27 6
- Mrs. John D. Fredericks, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for California, 1940 6
- J. Richard Fredericks, American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland, 1999-2001; Liechtenstein, 1999-2001 6
- Francis Fredericks, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1996 6
- Emma Fredericks, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 1924 6
- Edgar J. Fredericks (b. 1942), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives 54th District, 1975-78; Member of Michigan State Senate 23rd District, 1979-90 6
- ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Fredericks 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: Prudens simplicitas beat
Motto Translation: Prudent simplicity blesses
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html