Frigout

Recorded in a number of spellings including Frigat, Friget, Frigault, Frigand, Frigot, Frigout, and probably others, this is a surname of French origins. It is one which has also been recorded in England since at least the late 17th century and additional spellings there include Friggot and Frigo. They were 'imported' by Huguenot protestant refugees from France, fleeing the excesses of the catholic King Louis X1V (1643 - 1715). According to the French Dictionary of Names, this is an occupational name which derives from the word 'frigoleur,' and means a seller of fried food or a maker of fritters! Occupational surnames were amongst the earliest to be created, but they did not usually become hereditary unless a son followed his father into the same line of business. Sadly early church records in France are poor or non existent. The vast majority of early registers were destroyed during the Revolution of 1792, when for nearly a decade the church was banned, until reinstated by Napoleon. Such early examples as we have include: Marie Frigand at Bariset-au-Plain, on March 1st 1707, and Joseph Frigot, who married marianne Phibergt at Houdreville, both in the departement of Meurthe-et-Moselle, on February 15th 1803, whilst in England Anne Friggot the daughter of Thomas Friggot was christened at St Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, on August 11th 1717.