Frater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Frater

The surname is one of the many surnames that first came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from the Old French "fraitur," meaning "brother, friar," and was most likely first borne by one who was in charge of a monastery.

Early Origins of the Frater family

Early History of the Frater family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frater research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1301, 1379, 1567, 1663 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Frater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frater Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Frater, Fraitor, Fraiter and others.

Early Notables of the Frater family

• the Frater family of Yorkshire

Migration of the Frater family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Frater or a variant listed above: Geo. Frater, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1818; Robert Frater, who was recorded in the census of Ontario of 1871; as well as Adam Frater, who was naturalized in Illinois in 1896..