Frasier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The origins of the Frasier 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 Frasier 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 Frasier surname.

Early Origins of the Frasier family

The surname Frasier 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 Frasier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frasier 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 Frasier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frasier 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 Frasier 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. 1Sir 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. 1Sir Alexander Fraizer (1610?-1681), was...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frasier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frasier Ranking

In the United States, the name Frasier is the 4,450^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Frasier family to Ireland

Some of the Frasier 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.

Frasier migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Frasier Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Evis Frasier, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 3
John Frasier, who landed in Maryland in 1665 3

Frasier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Danl. Frasier, who landed in Virginia in 1703 3

Frasier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Frasier, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 3
Robert Frasier, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 3
William Frasier, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1824 3
Daniel Frasier, who landed in New York in 1850 3
George Frasier, who arrived in Oregon in 1855 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Frasier (post 1700) +

W. J. Frasier, American politician, Village President of Delray, Michigan; Elected 1903
Sally F. Frasier, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 2000 4
Rufus Frasier, American politician, Representative from New York 44th District, 1950
Robert G. Frasier, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1919, 1920; Candidate for New York State Senate 41st District, 1924 4
Margo Frasier, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1996 4
Jim Frasier, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1980, 2000, 2004, 2008; Member of Democratic National Committee from Oklahoma, 2004-08 4
Damion Frasier (b. 1963), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 4th District, 1994 4
Angie Frasier, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1972 4
Ben Frasier Jr., American frequent political candidate in South Carolina
Mary M. Frasier (1938-2005), famous African American educator
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Frasier 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
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html