Recorded as Frodsham, Frodshame, Frodsam, Fradsham, Fradson, Fredsam, Fredson, and no doubt others, this is a very interesting surname. It is locational and originates in all its many and varied spellings from the market-town and parish of Frodsham, north east of Chester in Cheshire. Recorded as Frotesham in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, and as Frodesham in the chartulary of the Abbey of St. Werburgh, Chester, in the year 1099, it derives from the pre 7th century personal ame "Froda", meaning wise and prudent, plus "-ham", a homestead, hence Frod's homestead. Locational surnames were originally given to local landowners, and especially to those former inhabitants who left their place of origin to live and work in another area. Adjoining parishes having the same component elements are Frodsham Bridge, east of Frodsham, and Frodsham Lordship in West Cheshire. Early recordings include Robert Frodsome and Anne Smythe in the Marriage Licence Records of London in 1595, and in 1606, Margaret Frodsham of Eccleston was entered in the Wills Records of Chester. Other examples are Robert Fradson christened at St Andrews Holborn, in the city of London, on October 24th 1591. A coat of arms associated with the name has the blazon of a silver shield charged with five gold estoiles, on a cross engrailed sable. The first recorded spelling of the family name may be that of Edward Frodesham of Elton. This was dated 1548, in the records of East Cheshire, during the reign of Edward V1th, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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