Wiktionary
n. 1 An Irish barony, originally from Castle ffrench in Galway 2 An English and Irish surname from the same source
Wikipedia
Ffrench or ffrench is a surname found in Ireland, a variant of the name French.
The name originated in France, and was brought by the Normans, who landed in Bannow Bay, County Wexford, Ireland in 1169. They also settled in Galway, Roscommon and Dublin.
In some cases, the name does not start with an initial capital, but with a lower case f. The Irish branch is considered to be one of the " Tribes of Galway", having been there since the 13th century.
Notable people named Ffrench or ffrench include:
- Alfred Kirke Ffrench VC (1835–1872), British soldier
- Baron ffrench, a title in the peerage of Ireland
- Leonardo Ffrench, Mexican diplomat
- Rose ffrench, 1st Baroness ffrench (d. 1805)
- Michael ffrench-O'Carroll (1919–2007), Irish doctor and politician
- Mostyn Ffrench-Williams (1914-1963), British swimmer
- Conrad O'Brien-ffrench (1893–1986), British Secret Intelligence Officer
- Val ffrench Blake (1913–2011), English Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, cattle- and horsebreeder, and author
They were also cousins of the French family, French Park Estate, Boyle, who were created Baron de Freyne.
Usage examples of "ffrench".
His own taste was fair, and he had the guidance of his old school friend Fred ffrench, who had become something of a notability in the world of antique dealers.
On the way he had abandoned the English spelling of his name, and Fred French became Fred ffrench, which was authentically Welsh, and looked well on his letterheads.
Fred ffrench was happy to put his taste, his knowledge and, of course, his professional scale of fees to work for his old friend.