Frame
One-Name Study

Topics

• About the Frame One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Frequency of the name
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• DNA project
• Contact Details

About the Frame One-Name Study

The Frame One-Name Study was registered in January 2010. It is now amalgamated with the Frame DNA Project - a logical step since Frame data has been accumulating from traditional research tied to the DNA Project. Interested Frame (and variant surname) researchers are invited to submit relevant data such as births, deaths, marriages, links to indexes and family trees etc. for inclusion on the Frame One-Name Study: One-Name Records Page.

Variants

Thus far, we have genetic proof that FRAIM and FRAME are related; we are still awaiting participants to DNA test for the other registered surnames in order to prove or disprove kinship. There are many other possible variants or deviants such as DE FRAME, FRAEME, FRAHAM, FRAHM, FRAIME, FRAMM, FRAMME, FRAYM, FREEM, FREHAM, FREM, FREME and FREYME. FROM or FROME may be other possibilities. Genetic testing would determine whether or not these families were related in earlier times.

Origin of the surname

The origins of the surname FRAME have been misty, to say the least. The anglicized form is a word with many different meanings - likewise FRAM as a prefix in different languages. Linguists have tended to class FRAME as a nickname derived from FRAM meaning (variously): Bold, Vigorous; Warrior; Foreigner or Stranger.

DNA testing has revealed that men surnamed FRAME from seven countries (England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States) thus far appear to have a Viking / Norman heritage. DNA-based medieval research indicates that the surname is possibly locative and synonymous with FRESNE (FRESME). It was found that Frame/France and also Fresmes/Fresnes (France) had identical coats of arms. Thus Fram or Frame may be synonymous with Franc or France. It was found by DNA testing that Frame men have distant matches with surnames such as Franc, Franz, Francis, Francini, French, Franklin etc. which seems to indicate an association with France and a kinship with those who derived their surname from the French in earlier times.

Historical occurrences

The anglicized surname 'FRAME' is scarce in medieval records. Only a few with the 'm' spelling have been found thus far:

SIR REGINALD 'DE FRESME': the Crusader of Moccas, Herefordshire - a member of the Fresnes / Freigne family.

1196: GEOFFREY FRAME of Bosmere hundred is recorded in the 1196 Pipe Rolls of Norfolk and Suffolk.

1304: WILLIAM DE REOM (family later known as Freme/Freeme/Freame) of Nether Lypiatt, Gloucestershire appeared as a juror at an Inq. P.M. in 1304.

1359: THOMAS FRAME of Middleton, Hawstead, Suffolk held in 1359, 1 messuage and 30 acres, and another messuage and 15 acres.

1390-1: WILLIAM FRAME was Rector of Tubney, Berkshire

1401: WILLIAM FROME was Mayor of Bristol, Gloucestershire

1438: RICHARD FREME was Sheriff, Gloucestershire

1441: NICHOLAS FREME was Mayor of Bristol, Gloucestershire

c1485-89: Fl. CHAPLAIN SIR ADAM FRAME aka Chaplain sir Adam Franche, sixth laird of Thorndykes, Scotland, a witness in the case of Walter Haliburton recorded in the Midlothian Protocol Book of James Young (1485-1489).

Obit. 1495: JAMES FRAME, dead by 1495. Held land in Musselburgh, Scotland. Midlothian Protocol Book of James Young (1493-1497)

Frequency of the name

The website http://www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames/ currently holds data for approximately 300 million people in 26 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Oceania, representing a total population of one billion people in those countries. They report the frequency of the FRAME surname in those countries on the basis of 'Frequency per Million' (FPM):

New Zealand 88.18

Australia 69.64

United Kingdom 69.03

United States 40.02

Canada 27.97

Ireland - 5.49

Netherlands 1.5

Belgium 0.57

Spain 0.52

France 0.49

Distribution of the name

Some examples of the early distribution of possibly related surnames may be found here.

The surname FRAME spread to large numbers far and wide. For example, in 1840 there were 151 Frame families living in the United States; by 2000, there were 3,656.

In the United Kingdom, the FRAME 'hotspot' is overwhelmingly Lanarkshire, Scotland. At the 1881 Census in Great Britain, there were 1184 Frames enumerated in Lanarkshire. The next largest clusters were 92 in Midlothian and 80 in Lancashire.

Some additional 'Frame Facts' may be found here.

Data

As well as significant resources on hand in the form of books, CDs etc., a very large number of Scottish FRAME Birth, Death and Marriage certificates have been purchased from Scotland's People to aid the reconstruction of various Frame family trees for the Frame DNA Project. We are happy to share any information held in our database or these resources with Frame researchers to help with their Frame genealogies. We also hold several Scottish Wills; however the earliest ones are illegible to the untrained eye and would require considerable funds to have them all transcribed; this has not been possible to date. We will gradually be adding transcribed Frame data and lists of index entries for posting on our the Frame One-Name Study Data Collection Page. We encourage all Frame and registered variant surname researchers from around the world to get behind the Frame One-Name Study and submit any extracted information or family trees (Gedcom files included), histories, biographies etc. - anything at all that will help build the library of Frame and variant surname data for future generations.

DNA project

As previously mentioned, January 2010 saw the Frame One-Name Study established and then amalgamated with the Frame DNA Project. We invite your participation and collaboration! The Frame DNA and One-Name Study website is found here.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mrs Julie Falk
E-mail:

This page last updated 23 July 2010.

This page has been viewed 1008 times.

Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.