Frobisher (surname) explained

Frobisher is an occupational surname, a variant form of 'furbisher', i.e. a person who 'furbishes' (burnishes) weapons and armour as part of the production process (Middle English fourbishour, from Old French forbisseor).^[1] Notable people with the surname include:

• Benjamin Frobisher (1742–1787), Canadian fur trader
• Benjamin Joseph Frobisher (1782–1821), Canadian fur trader and politician, son of Joseph Frobisher
• Joseph Frobisher (1740–1810), Canadian fur trader and politician, brother of Benjamin and Thomas Frobisher
• Martin Frobisher (c. 1535 – 1594), English sailor and explorer
• Thomas Frobisher (1744 - 1788), Canadian fur trader, brother of Joseph and Benjamin Frobisher

Fictional characters:

• Arthur Frobisher, villainous billionaire in the television series Damages
• Buck Frobisher, character in the television series Due South
• Robert Frobisher, composer in the novel Cloud Atlas and mentioned in other David Mitchell books

Notes and References

1. Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press