Surname Frise - Meaning and Origin
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Frise: What does the surname Frise mean?
The last name Frise is generally believed to be of French origin and might be related to the medieval French surname 'Frisel' which itself is thought to have come from a Latin word 'fricare', meaning 'to rub'.
The Latin root of the name, 'fricare', suggests it was likely first used to refer to someone who worked as a groomer or one who rubbed horses or other animals for a living. It can also refer to a cloth designed to be used for polishing and rubbing.
From its French roots, the name 'Frise' can also mean a type of soft bread, which would have been symbolic of the original bearer's occupation of a groomer.
The name Frise can also refer to a form of French topiary or landscape gardening which involves the shaping of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation into formations resembling natural or imaginative shapes including animals and birds. This could be symbolic of the landscape gardening skills of the original bearer of the surname.
In all, the name Frise is likely derived from Latin, French and Germanic roots. While its exact meaning is uncertain, this intriguing surname has a long and interesting history that speaks to the lives and occupations of its first bearers.
Order DNA origin analysisFrise: Where does the name Frise come from?
The surname Frise is quite rare today, with the highest concentrations of the name found in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The United States has the largest population of people with the Frise surname, with the highest concentration of the surname found in the state of Michigan. In Germany, the Frise surname is particularly popular in the Bavarian region, while in the United Kingdom, the Frise surname is most common in the counties of East Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and Devon.
The origin of the Frise surname is believed to be Germanic. It is thought to have come from the word “Frisingen” which is a compound word consisting of “friar” and “singen” which means to sing. This makes sense as people with this surname were likely who sang hymns in churches in Bavaria during Medieval times. There is also speculation that this surname could be related to the Danish word “friser” which means curly or wavy, which may indicate that the people with this name had curly or wavy hair.
The Frise surname is usually found spelled with the variations of Friese, Frise, and Friese. Despite its rarity, there are still a fair amount of people who bear the surname today. Many of these people are descendants of those same families from centuries ago, who are proud to carry on their family name.
Variations of the surname Frise
The surname Frise has multiple variants and spellings, as well as assimilated surnames.
The most common variants of the surname Frise are Freese, Freece, Freeze, Fresse and Fris.
The earliest record of the surname Frise in its different spellings is found in Germany during the Middle Ages, where it was adopted as a toponymic or patronymic surname derived from the Old German Frisia.
The name Frise is also sometimes spelled as Frye or Fryse, which is mostly associated with the Dutch version of the name.
One of the assimilated surnames of Frise is Friese, which was adopted from the Friesland region of the Netherlands.
Common spelling variants of the surname in the United States today are Freeze, Freese, and Friese.
A less common variant is Frisco, which is mostly associated with the Italian version of the surname.
The surname Frise is sometimes also spelled as Frisey, Frisy, Frissy, Frisie, Frisc, Frye, Fries, Freese, Fryse, Fresse, Fressey, Frese, Freece, and Fryce.
The Frise surname is part of a larger group of surnames that come from the Frisian region of Germany and the Netherlands, including Friis, Fries, Friess, Fritsch, Fritsche, Frister, Friston, Fritzer, Frizer, Frizelle and Fretz.
Famous people with the name Frise
- Barbara Frise: Barbara Frise is a former Governor of the Bank of Canada who served from 2012 to 2017. She is known for her expertise in the field of financial risk management and financial regulatory policy and is credited with ushering in an era of greater transparency at the Bank.
- Bill Frise: Bill Frise is an American technology investor and venture capitalist who has been involved in a number of successful companies, including FireEye, Inflection, 3Com, and Webvan.
- Rosemary Frise: Rosemary Frise is a British television presenter and media executive. She's best known for her appearances on The Sun's Biz Live, The Big Money Show, and other BBC programs.
- Keith Frise: Keith Frise is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer who has worked with a number of popular recording artists, including Stevie Wonder and The Beatles.
- Charles Frise: Charles Frise was an American aeronautical engineer who is best known for his work developing aircrafts at Bell Helicopter. He also worked for NASA on the Apollo 11 mission.
- Albert Frise: Albert Frise was a French composer of classical music who composed a variety of works for piano, choir, and string orchestra.
- John Frise: John Frise is a former professional baseball player who spent seven seasons in the minor leagues. He was a pitcher and a shortstop, and was part of the 1952 All-Star team for the Detroit Tigers.
- Fred Frise: Fred Frise is a Canadian business executive who founded the Frise Group of Companies, which operates in automotive and industrial sectors.
- Kim Frise: Kim Frise is an American country singer and actress who has released a number of studio albums and has acted in a variety of films and television shows.