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The term Frank in eastern Mediterranean countries was used, in various vernacular forms, to denote the Crusaders and their descendants, and the American surname may also be an Americanized form of such a form.English, Dutch, German, etc.: from the personal name Frank, in origin an ethnic name for a Frank.
History of the Surname. Most Germanic Surnames from Central Europe have their roots in the Germanic Middle Ages. The process of forming family names in what is present day Germany began during Middle High German period in the history of the German language from the early 12th Century to the 16th century.ost of the modern English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh family names throughout Great Britain have originated as a result of the following circumstances: patronym or matronym, names based on the name of one's father, mother or ancestor, (Johnson, Wilson).