Early Notables of the French family (pre 1700) The name is derived from the Latin fraxinus, ash tree.' The family claim descent from 'one of the 'Tribes of Galway' though first settled in Co. The name is sometimes spelled with a beginning of 'Ff.' This practice arose as many early records showed the capital 'F' as 'ff' in 16th and 17th centuries. The surname French was originally de Freynes and was originally derived from the word 'fraxinus,' which means an 'ash tree.' However, in some cases, the surname French is derived from residence in the country of France, a more obvious derivation. The French family originally lived near an ash tree. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. Originally, these place names were prefixed by 'de,' which means 'from' in French.

Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo- Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Local surnames, such as French, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo- Normans had an affinity for local surnames.

When the Anglo- Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established.

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