Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• molendinu' Fraunceis, de molendino Frauncisci, Frenssh myll 1500 Hutch3

• molendin' Franceis c.1500 Eg

• French-Mill 1546 Hutch3

• French Mill [Bridge] 1791 Boswell

• French-Mill-House, French Mill Fd 1840 TA

Etymology

, molendinu ' Fraunceis , de molendino Frauncisci , Frenssh myll 1500 Hutch3, molendin 'Franceis c.1500Eg , French -Mill 1546 Hutch3, French Mill [Bridge]1791 Boswell, French -Mill -House , French Mill Fd 1840TA , no doubt so called from its possession by a Frenchman ( or by someone with a surname Franceis ) , OFr Franceis ' French, Frenchman ' and the Lat  form Franciscus here both alternating with ME  Frensche , cf. Henry Fraunceys Ed 2 (c.1407) Shaft , French's Fm 2265 , and the analogous French Mill Wt 150 . Sydenham 79 conjectures that the name may contain ME  fraunchise , but the forms do not support this , cf. Little Francis 1268 .