Show ContentsFreshney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Freshney family

The surname Freshney was first found in Lincolnshire in the parish of Friskney where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Friskney, held by Chetelbern a Norman noble who was under tenant to the King and recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. "The church [of Friskney in Lincolnshire] is in the ancient English style, and contains some elegant monuments to the Booths, and one, lately discovered, representing a knight in chain-armour, sculptured in soft sandstone, with the arms of Friskney emblazoned." 1

Early History of the Freshney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Freshney research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1193 is included under the topic Early Freshney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Freshney Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Friskney, Freskney, Freskeny, Freshney, Frishney, Friskenny, Frisknie, Frisknay and many more.

Early Notables of the Freshney family

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


United States Freshney migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Freshney or a variant listed above:

Freshney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Freshney, who settled in America in 1684

Canada Freshney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Freshney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Grantham Freshney, who settled in Ontario in 1871
  • Samuel H. Freshney, who arrived in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Freshney (post 1700) +

  • Edwin E. Freshney, American Republican politician, Candidate for Secretary of State of Kentucky, 1955 2


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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