Franklan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Franklan

What does the name Franklan mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Franklan family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found at the francland or freeland. It the surname Franklan originally derived from the Old French word Francland which referred to dweller at the freeland. The surname Franklan is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Franklan family

The surname Franklan was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from ancient times and were Lords of the manor of Thirkelby in that county.

Of note was the Frankland Baronetcy, of Thirkelby (or Thirkleby.) This Baronetage of England, created on 24 December 1660 for William Frankland (c. 1640-1697.)

"The name of Frankland has long been established in the western part of the West Riding [of Yorkshire], as at Giggleswick (Wh. C.). Hugh Francklande was a Yorkshire gentleman who contributed £50 for the defence of his country at the time of the expected Spanish invasion of 1588 (Sp.). The name of Franklan occurs in the Hundredorum Rolls, and it seems probable that Frankland is sometimes a corruption of Franklin. There is a Frankland Hall in the North Riding, and the surname is also established there." 1

Early History of the Franklan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Franklan research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1531, 1587, 1628, 1629, 1630, 1640, 1665, 1671, 1685, 1697, 1698, 1726, 1747 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Franklan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Franklan 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 Franklan include Frankland, Franklands, Franckland, Francklands and many more.

Early Notables of the Franklan family

Jocosa or Joyce Frankland (1531-1587), an English philanthropist; William Frankland (died 1640), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629 and in 1640
Richard Frankland (1630-1698) was an English nonconformist from Rathmell, a hamlet in the parish of Giggleswick, Yorkshire. 2
Sir William Frankland, 1st Baronet (c 1640-1697), was English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1671 to 1685; and his son Sir Thomas Frankland, 2nd Baronet (1665-1726), of...

Migration of the Franklan family

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 Franklan or a variant listed above: Anne Franklaind who settled in Virginia in 1643; John Frankland settled in Virginia in 1700; Mr. Frankland settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775.

The Franklan 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: A'lo hecho pecho

Sources +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print