This very unusual and interesting name is Anglo-Saxon, early medieval in origin, and is an occupational surname for someone employed as a herald in a great house, or attached to a Lord's retinue. It can also derive from the name for a town crier, one who's job was to make the public announcements and often an officer in a court of justice. The derivation of the name is from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "fricca", meaning "cry", in the sense of an announcement, with the Middle English agent suffix "-er". An early recording of the name shows a different spelling, that of Abraham Phricker (1687, Hampshire), while in London one Abraham Fricker married Mary Phillips at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, in August 1697. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Fricker, married Margreat Heawat, which was dated 19th October 1574, Fareham, Hampshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Good Queen Bess, 1558 - 1603. 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.