Frayberg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Frayberg

What does the name Frayberg mean?

The Frayberg surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Frayberg is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Frayberg was given to someone who lived in Bavaria, where they grew to prominence and significant social and cultural influence in the early Middle Ages, contributing much to the feudal life of the time. The surname Frayberg derives from the German words, frei, which means free, and berg, which means hill, and is the name of a city in Germany. This surname is therefore a local name, and would have been adopted by someone who came from Freiberg.

Early Origins of the Frayberg family

The surname Frayberg was first found in Bavaria, where since ancient times the Freiberg family had been a prominent contributor to the development of the district's feudal society. Always prominent in social affairs, the name Freiberg became an integral part of the turbulent events of the period and the family therefore formed alliances with other distinguished families.

Early History of the Frayberg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frayberg research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1675 is included under the topic Early Frayberg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frayberg Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Frayberg include Freiberg, Freibergg, Freibberg, Freyberg, Freybberg, Freybergg, Frayberg, Fraybberg, Fraybergg, Freiburg, Freiberger, Freibuerg, Freibuerger, Freiperg, Freiperger, Freyburg, Freyberger, Freyperg, Frayburg, Frayberger, Frayperg, Freyburger and many more.

Early Notables of the Frayberg family

More information is included under the topic Early Frayberg Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Frayberg family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: Johan Casper, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1754 as did Jacob Freyberger the same year; Heinrich Freyburger settled in America in 1782; Hans Jacob Freiburger settled in Pennsylvania in 1803.