Show ContentsFrisknie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Frisknie family

The surname Frisknie 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 Frisknie family

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

Frisknie 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 Friskney, Freskney, Freskeny, Freshney, Frishney, Friskenny, Frisknie, Frisknay and many more.

Early Notables of the Frisknie family

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

Migration of the Frisknie 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 Frisknie or a variant listed above: John Friske, who came to Virginia in 1658; Edward Friskney, who arrived in America in 1673; John Freshney, who came to America in 1684; H. Frisk, who came to San Francisco in 1851.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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