This interesting old status name has its origins in the feudal system of medieval England. It derives from the Middle English "frankelin", from the Anglo-Norman French "franc" meaning free, in the sense of liberal and generous, plus the germanic suffix "ling". The status of the Franklin varied somewhat according to time and place in medieval England; in general, he was a free man and a holder of fairly extensive areas of land, a gentleman ranked above the main body of minor freeholders, but below a knight or a member of the nobility.
The surname dates back to the late 12th Century, (see below). One, Luke le Franckeleyn is registered in the Cambridgeshire Feet of Fines (1234). In the modern idiom the name has six spelling variations, Frankling, Francklyn, Francklin, Franklen, Franklyn and Franklin. On February 11th 1560, George Franklin married Agnes Hills, at St. Dionis Backchurch, London. The American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), was of British descent. His father, a maker of soap and candles, had emigrated in about 1682, from Ecton, Northamptonshire, to Boston, where his son was born. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph Frankelein, which was dated 1195, in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname franklyn is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. We can try to trace the genealogy of the surname franklyn, and in addition to the original locations of franklyn, we can find out where people with the surname franklyn can currently be found.
The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname franklyn provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations. The mobility of people carrying the surname franklyn has led to its presence in different countries, as you can verify.
For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname franklyn, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of franklyn developed. The history, heraldry, coats of arms, and possible nobility of the surname franklyn are scattered in documents across various regions and historical periods, so it is necessary to reconstruct a complex puzzle to approach the facts from a realistic perspective.
We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about franklyn and send it to us, we will update it on this website. Please note that if you are in a position to provide more data about the surname franklyn or any other surname and its origin, we would appreciate your collaboration with us by sending us information about the origin of franklyn.
Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname franklyn were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. A surname like franklyn can connect a person to an illustrious lineage and a distinguished coat of arms. However, it must be kept in mind that it is individual people who, through their lives and actions, bring fame and recognition to their surnames. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname franklyn who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of franklyn are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. We consider it highly advisable to refer to the following sources if you wish to conduct research on the surname franklyn, as well as many other surnames.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of franklyn, and at the same time, of surnames in general.