The Names of the Great Houses of Westeros, Explored and Explained

House Frey

The German word “frei,” which may have been written as “frey” a couple of hundred years ago, means “free.” Martin might have had German titles like “Freier” or “Freiherr” in mind when he created this house and its name. A Freiherr is often considered equivalent to a Baron, and was used in German-speaking regions of the Holy Roman Empire. One kind of Freiherr (arguably the older, more important kind) was “unintermediated,” meaning that despite usually possessing only a comparatively small bit of land, there was only one person above him in the feudal system: the king or emperor. This designation would surely appeal to a man like Walder Frey.

“Freiherr” also referred to younger members of the nobility common in the late medieval period through early modern times. This sort of nobleman was not as prestigious in comparison to other houses with longer histories. This could apply equally as well to Frey, who always bore a grudge against houses he thought looked down on him and his.