Fraulo

This very interesting surname has travelled over many miles and many centuries from its pre-medieval origins. It is now an Italianised form of a Netherlands 18th Century surname "Fraule" or "Fraula", itself a development of the original Old High German "vrouwe" (later "frau") meaning "lady". In its original form the surname was spelt as "Fraulob" or "Frauenlob", and translates literally as "lady-praise". This is a nickname or baptismal form of endearment probably equivalent to the later "sweetheart" or "darling", the latter being a surname in its own right. It is recorded that Heinrich Von Meissen, circa 1500, was nicknamed "Vrowenlob" because he used this form of address when greeting his friends. The original "Frau" surname is rare but it attracted a wide range of suffixes, such as "Fraulin" (son of Frau) and "Frauhofer", a locational name for one who worked at a manor held by a lady. Early Continental baptismal records are rare or non-existent; most date from circa 1700. However, we do have Samuel Fraula of Leedam, Zuid Holland, on January 17th 1706, this family being holders of a Coat of Arms of a blue field, a fesse chequy gold and red, between three silver knight's spurs. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Caspar Fraulob, which was dated November 12th 1610, marriage to Anna Flachs, at Bonnerdorf, Dresden, Germany, during the reign of Emperor Rudolf 11 of the Holy Roman Empire, 1574 - 1612. 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.