French Coat of Arms, Family Crest and French Family History

French Family History

The French ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. French is a locational name for someone who originated from France. Variants of the name include Frenche and Frenchman. This name is of Anglo-Norman descent spreading to Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in these countries. Examples of such are a Symon le Frensch, Wiltshire, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273 and a Robertus Franchman who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in the year 1379. In early Scottish records the name occurs chiefly in a Latinized form such as Franciscus. The Irish bearers of the name are descended from Theophilus de Frensche, a Norman Baron, who arrived with William the Conqueror in the eleventh century. They first settled in Wexford in the year 1300, but later became established in Connaught where they became one of the famous 'Tribes of Galway'. The town of Frenchpark in County Roscommon shows the extent to which they became further dispersed.The French family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including French descendants.