Freer (surname)

Freer is a surname. Primarily of British origins, Freer generally derives from the surnames Frère and Frere and their respective French and Old French words.

Origins

The earliest instances of the surname found in the British Isles are believed to have came to be as nicknames meaning brother, friend, or comrade were adopted as surnames and became family names.[1] At times it emerged as a relational surname from a literal meaning of the Old French word frere for brother.[2][3] Then, in the 12th century, when the word began to refer to friars, and newer adoptions of the surname began to reflect this. Frere became a nickname for someone who acted piously,[4] but also indulgent and hypocritical, as friars became less popular, and the nickname took on a derogatory connotation.[1][3] When these nicknames came to be surnames, sometimes their spelling shifted to "Freer". The surname also came to be as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked in a monastery or friary.[1][4] While some friars likely had children, they were not allowed to marry, making this uncommon. After the Reformation, those who had been friars were now allowed to marry, giving way to the use of Freer as an occupational surname for those descended from monks and friars.[1][5][6]

Outside of Great Britain, the surname was commonplace in Jurby, on the Isle of Man, in the 17th century.[2] Instances of Freer can also be found in the Irish south midlands, with potential relations to the surname Prior, but more likely of Anglo-Norman origin.[7] Freer has also been observed as an americanization of the French surname Frère.[1] The surname has also been attested to be a Flemish variant of the name Frederick.[8]

People

Notable people with the surname include:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dictionary of American family names (Second ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom New York: Oxford University Press. 2022. ISBN 9780190245122.
  2. 1 2 Moore, A. W. (1890). The Surnames & Place-Names of the Isle of Man. London. p. 104.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 Reaney, Percy H. (1987). The origin of English surnames (Repr ed.). London: Routledge & Paul. p. 82. ISBN 9780710003539.
  4. 1 2 Dunkling, Leslie (1998). Dictionary of Surnames. HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 91. ISBN 0004720598.
  5. ↑ Sims, Clifford Stanley (1862). The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames With a Vocabulary of Christian Names. Albany, New York.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Black, George Fraser (1999). The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning, and history (12. repr ed.). New York: Public Library. p. 280. ISBN 0871041723.
  7. ↑ MacLysaght, Edward (1989). Surnames of Ireland. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. ISBN 0716523663.
  8. ↑ Ayto, John (2007). Encyclopedia of Surnames. A & C Black Publishers. p. 117. ISBN 9780713681444.
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