Frame is generally accepted as being of Scottish origin although this is by no means certain. It is believed to derive from the Olde English pre 7th century word "fram" - a term for a lusty and vigorous man! Today "Frame" is fairly prevalent on the western side of Scotland, and this is logical as this was the former english speaking kingdom of Strathclyde in pre Norman times. There are also several places in England which may have contributed to the development of the surname. These include Framingham in Norfolk, which was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as being "the place (ham) of the Fram tribe (ing)." The name is also recorded on the continent, specifically in The Netherlands, but this is probably coincidence and owing to the close trading connections between the protestant nations in the 17th century. Early recording examples include Daniel Frame, burgess of Edinburgh in 1642, William Fram of Calder in 1679 and James Frame of Canongate, Edinburgh in 1683. Church recordings include Christine Frame who married James Cowp at Lanark, on May 2nd 1654, and William Frame, who married Margaret Mercer at the English Episcopal Church, Amsterdam, on March 2nd 1719. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam Frame, which was dated 1495, in the Commissariat Records of Lanark, during the reign of King James 1V of Scotland 1488 - 1513. 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.

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