This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin is a diminutive of "Fry", which is chiefly found in south and west England. it originated as a nickname, from either the Olde English pre 7th Century "freo" free, denoting somebody who was not a serf, or who was not enslaved to another person, or from the Middle English "fry" a small person, child, offspring (from the Old Norse "frio" a seed), with the diminutive suffix "ett". The creation of surnames from nicknames was a common practice in the Middle Ages, and many modern-day surnames derive from medieval nicknames referring to personal characteristics, as in this instance the "free person" or "small person". The surname has many variant spellings ranging from Fryet, Fryat and Fryatt to Fryitt and Fryott. Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include; Daniel Fryett who married Mary Giblett on August 22nd 1761 at St. Mary's, Marylebone Road, and their son John, who was christened on September 14th 1776 at St. Katherine by the Tower. The Coat of Arms most associated with the name is black, on a gold chevron embattled between three gold poleaxes the blades silver, three black annulets. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Joane Fryett, which was dated October 14th 1571, marriage to William Stane at Cuxton, Kent, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st, "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.