Show ContentsFrothingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Frothingham family

The surname Frothingham was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 12th century when they held estates at South Frodingham.

Early History of the Frothingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Frothingham research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1394, 1415, 1429, 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Frothingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Frothingham Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Frothingham have been found, including Frodingham, Fordingham, Frothingham, Froddingham and others.

Early Notables of the Frothingham family

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


United States Frothingham migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Frothingham, or a variant listed above:

Frothingham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Frothingham of Yorkshire of Suffolk, sailed from Isle of Wright arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston, moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts. [1]
  • Mrs. Anne Frothingham of Yorkshire, sailed from Isle of Wright arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Charlestown. [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Frothingham (post 1700) +

  • Octavius Brooks Frothingham (1822-1895), American clergyman and author from Boston, son of Nathaniel Frothingham
  • Richard Frothingham Jr., (1812-1880), American historian, journalist, and politician, proprietor and managing editor of The Boston Post, 2nd Mayor of Charlestown, Massachusetts (1851-1853)
  • Nathaniel Langdon Frothingham (1793-1870), American Unitarian minister and pastor of the First Church of Boston
  • Louis A. Frothingham (1871-1928), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1921-1928), 41st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1909-1912)
  • James Frothingham (1786-1864), American portrait painter in Massachusetts and New York
  • Ellen Frothingham (1835-1902), American translator of German-language works into English from Boston, daughter of Nathaniel Frothingham
  • John Frothingham (1788-1870), Canadian merchant who co-founded British North America's largest wholesale hardware house, Frothingham & Workman
  • Arthur Lincoln Frothingham Jr., Ph.D. (1859-1923), American professor of art history at Princeton University and an archaeologist


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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