The Origin of the Surname

The surname Froomes is an uncommon variant of a rare surname Frome or Froom. Locational in origin, the surname means "of Frome" (pronounced froom). Several rivers called Frome lie in the west of England in the counties of Somerset, Hereford, Gloucester and Dor-set. The river-name appears to have derived from the Old Welch ffrom meaning "fuming, violent" or "fair, brisk, fine. Most of the rivers have places on their banks named after the river, the largest being the town of Frome in Somerset which is located 24 miles south-east of Bristol. A locality Froome is also found in Herefordshire.

References to the name as a surname or byname occur in the early years with a Walter de Frome in Oxfordshire in 1273 and a Reginald de Frome, William de Frome and John Frome in Somerset in the reign of Edward III (1327-77). Today Frome and the pronunciation spellings Froom and Froome are the most common forms of the surname. Frooms and in particular Froomes are uncommon.

In The Homes of Family Names published in 1890 H.B. Guppy wrote that Froome was a peculiar name mostly confined to the county of Berkshire. He added that the present Froomes "are probably connected in their descent with the Fromes, a Reading family early last century" (that is, the early 1700's). Coate's Reading mentions this family which was headed by Richard and Ann Frome of London. Baptisms for five children have been located in London parishes through the International Genealogical Index however the parents and two of the children were buried in St Mary's, Reading with a long inscription on the gravestone. Although two of the surviving children were sons no further reference has been found to them in Berkshire records. Various families with the surnames Froom and Froome have been found in the 1600's and 1700's in London, Berkshire and north Hampshire. However no family so far located has included a son named Moses, the name of the progenitor of this Froomes family.