Surname Frensel - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Frensel: What does the surname Frensel mean?
The last name Frensel is a French surname derived from the personal name "Fro(n)sel," or "Fro(n)sig" (Fro meaning "friar," and Sig meaning "victory"). The name itself would have been used to indicate a person's other profession.
The early Frensel's would have been of Germanic origin and related to the Frisian people, thus explaining the etymology used for the name. They are believed to have settled in France during the Middle Ages and are thought to have been the result of a mix of both Romanic and Germanic influences.
The original Frensel's were most likely members of the French lower nobility, as the name was often used to signify nobility or position in society. They were wealthy and influential people in their communities and some of them became notable characters in their area, such as the French lawyer, writer, and poet Jean-Charles de Frensel de la Gueronnière.
Today, the Frensel surname can be found mainly in France, but due to immigration, it can also be found around the world in places such as North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Outside of France, the name is usually phonetically spelled as "Fresnel."
In conclusion, the Frensel last name is a French and Germanic surname which originally signified nobility or a position of status. Over time, it has been spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and is now present in many places.
Order DNA origin analysisFrensel: Where does the name Frensel come from?
The last name Frensel is most commonly found in Germany today. According to records maintained by the genealogy website Verwandt.de, there are currently over 200 people with this last name living in the country, mostly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
The Frensel surname is believed to have originated in Germany, given its prevalence in the country. It is a locational name, derived from the word 'ana' or 'lehen', meaning a settlement or area. It is believed to have first appeared in central Germany in the 17th Century.
The Frensel spelling could also be from a variant of the Dutch surname Frens or French, a topographic name for someone who lived near a thornbush thicket. These toponymic surnames, derived from the name of a place, became much more common after the 10th century, when governments began to encourage the population to adopt surnames for taxation and census purposes.
The surname is also found in scattered locations around the Western World, in countries such as the US, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. As with most surnames, migration and immigration to these countries in the 19th and 20th Centuries is likely responsible for the presence of this name.
No matter where it originated, it is clear that the last name Frensel is still well-known and widespread today.
Variations of the surname Frensel
Frensel is an uncommon surname with Dutch origins that can be spelled in many different ways. Generally, it is written as Frensel, Frenssel, or Frenselle, though it can also be seen as Frenchel, Franssens, Frency, Frenzel, or Franssen. All of these variations stem from the patronym Frans, or the medieval given name meaning ‘Frenchman’. In the Netherlands, the Frensel variant is the most common spelling, while it can also be found in France, Belgium, and Germany.
Frens(s)el is sometimes seen as a double surname, resulting from the combination of Frens and El, which comes from the medieval name Hillegond; el or elle means ‘son/daughter of’, so Frens El is essentially ‘son of Frenchman’. It’s also been suggested that some variants may have come from Frentzen, originally from the old Germanic personal name Frantz.
The Frenszel variant is sometimes confused with an aristocratic German surname, Wehrenszell, though the history and meaning of the two are entirely different. The Wehrenszell name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it was used for a family of knights in the Rhineland region.
Other variants of the Frensel surname can also be found. Francel is one such variation, denoting an origin from France. Frency is another; this spelling suggests the alteration of the pronunciation of the original French phrase, meaning ‘son of the Frenchman’. Finally, Franssen is thought to be derived from Franssens, meaning ‘son of Frances’. All of these surnames share the same French origin, regardless of the variant spelling.
Famous people with the name Frensel
- Madeleine Frensel Wehle: Actor, author, and teacher
- Wallace Frensel Lucas: Civil rights leader and Methodist missionary
- Pierre Frensel: French-German writer, journalist, and producer
- Afra Frensel: German opera singer
- Eliza Frensel: Dutch singer-songwriter
- Jean Frensel: French military officer and politician
- Jacques Heinrich Frensel: Dutch-born German astronomer
- Pierre Jean Baptiste Frensel: Dutch landscape painter
- Jorge Luis Frensel: Argentine writer and filmmaker
- Arturo Frensel: Spanish American footballer
- Diana Frensel: German Olympic medallist in canoeing
- Joop Frensel: Dutch resistance fighter and political advisor
- Breesje Frensel: Dutch draughtsman
- Annet Frensel: Dutch actress and writer
- Jean Pierre Frensel: French essayist and musicologist
- Emile Joseph Frensel: French lawyer, politician, and soldier