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
School 1,806
Farm Labourer 213
General Labourer 128
General Servant (domestic) 120
Private Means 120
Labourer 103
Farmer 100
None 100
Domestic Servant 86
Dressmaker 80
Clerk 73
Coal Miner Hewer 60
Carman 58
Old Age Pensioner 56
Scholar 52
House Keeper 51
House Painter 49
Assisting In Business 48
At School 47
Laundress 47
Carpenter 46
Bricklayer 45
Cook (domestic) 44
Dress Maker 43
At Home 40

French Surname Variants Ranking

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

Did you know?

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

Search for the French family