FROGGATT
Froggatt is an English surname that traces its roots back to the Old English word frogga, meaning "frog," combined with the suffix -gate, which denotes a road or way. The combination suggests that the name originally described a person who lived close to a path or lane where frogs were common, or perhaps who was associated with a location that was frequented by these amphibians.
In addition to the -gate derivation, records from Derbyshire indicate that the name may also derive from the older pre‑7th‑century form frogga plus cot, a shelter or cottage. This alternative suggests that Froggatt could have been a locational surname for someone living in or near a cottage in a place known for its frogs.
The surname is particularly well documented in Derbyshire church registers starting in the late 16th century. Variant spellings appear frequently, including Froggett, Froget, Frogatt, Frogate and Froggot. These variants are evidence of the fluidity of spelling in early modern England and the way clerks recorded names as they heard them.
Notable early records include the 1592 marriage of Elinam Froggot to Rogerus Wylde in Baslow, and the christening of Anna Frogatt, an infant, in Beeley on 5 November 1601. A later entry records the 1629 marriage of Godfrey Froggatt to Elizabeth Bullock in Norton, Derbyshire, marking the continued prominence of the name in the region.
The earliest documented instance of the family name is a 1548 marriage licence for Hellen Frogate, who married Robert Lowell in St. Lawrence Jewry, London, during the reign of King Edward V, the Boy King (1547–1553). This licence represents the first surviving record of the surname in its modern form and confirms the name's presence in the capital as well as the West Midlands.
Throughout its history, the Froggatt surname has remained strongly associated with Derbyshire, particularly the area around Bakewell. While the name is uncommon, its survival through centuries of parish record‑keeping and marriage registers attests to the endurance of a small, but historically significant, English family line.
Typical given names associated with the Froggatt surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Ray
- Richard
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Joanne
- Julie
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Froggatt in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 3,374 people named Froggatt in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,704th most common surname in Britain. Around 52 in a million people in Britain are named Froggatt.
Famous people named Froggatt
- Joanne Froggatt - Joanne Coyle
- Raymond Froggatt - Singer
- Steve Froggatt - Football player
- Jack Froggatt - Football player (1922 to 1993)
- John Froggatt - Football player
- Peter Froggatt -
- Redfern Froggatt - Football player (1924 to 2003)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.