Frostes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Frostes is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person who was the Descendant of Frost (one born at the time of frost.) 1

"Frost is the name of a dwarf in the Scandinavian mythology, and our nursery hero, 'Jack Frost,' may be derived from that source." 2

Fancifully and less likely, it could have been a nickname for someone thought of as having a cold attitude or and icy disposition or a person may have also received this surname because of his white hair or his white beard.

Early Origins of the Frostes family

The surname Frostes was first found in Hampshire where William Forst was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. From this earliest record, we found about ten years later, Gilbert Frost c. 1095 in Suffolk. 3

"The name of Frost has been established in Norfolk ever since the 13th century, when the Frosts resided here in numbers. In the 15th and 16th centuries Frost was a common name amongst the Norfolk clerics. The name also occurs now in other parts of England, particularly in Derbyshire and Somerset. In the 13th century it not only characterized Norfolk but also Cambridgeshire and in a less degree Suffolk." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Henry Frost, Norfolk; and Robert Frost, Lincolnshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes Froste; and Dionisius Frost 1370 as both holding lands there at that time. 5

The famed poet Robert Frost (1874-1963), who received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry was born in California, but his father descended from Nicholas Frost of Tiverton, Devon who had sailed to New Hampshire in 1634 on the Wolfrana.

Early History of the Frostes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frostes research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1095, 1273, 1298, 1379, 1626, 1641, 1656, 1700, 1750, 1782 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Frostes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frostes Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Frostes were recorded, including Frost, Froste and others.

Early Notables of the Frostes family

Notables of the family at this time include John Frost (1626?-1656), English nonconformist divine, born at Langham, Suffolk, in or about 1626, was the eldest son of John Frost, rector of Fakenham in the same county. "After attending schools at Thetford, Norfolk, and Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, he was admitted pensioner of St. John's College, Cambridge, 21 Feb. 1641-2, and fellow soon after taking his B.A. degree." 6 John Frost (1750-1842), Secretary of the Corresponding...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Frostes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Frostes family to Ireland

Some of the Frostes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Frostes family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Frostes family emigrate to North America: Nicholas Frost, who came to Maine in 1630; William Frost, who arrived in New York State in 1630; Thomas Frost settled in St. Christopher in 1635; Edmund Frost, a church Elder, on record in Cambridge, MA in 1635.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print