French Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

French Name Meaning: This is an ethnic name for someone from France,or who has adopted French airs.

The middle english term is 'frensche',also a variant of Anglo-Norman french 'frain',a topographic name for someone who lived near an ash tree or ash wood.

Discover how your French ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

French Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the French family

Profession Census Frequency
General Labourer 219
Living On Own Means 207
General Servant Domestic 146
Dress Maker 114
Cook Domestic 111
Scholar 106
Farmer 89
Housemaid Domestic 83
Domestic Servant 76
Agricultural Labourer 72
Laundress Wash 70
Carpenter 66
Tailoress 61
House Maid Domestic 57
Ordinary Agricultural Labourer 56
Coal Miner Hewer 46
House Painter 45
Tailor 43
Charwoman 42
Bricklayer 41
Carman 40
Laundress 39
House Keeper 37
House Keeper Domestic 37
Servant Domestic 36

French Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 French 100% 101,598
2 Franch 83% 809
3 Frinch 83% 712

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The surname French is the most popular version of all its varients

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