'front-written' originates from a combination of 'front' (from Old French 'front', ultimately from Latin 'frons, frontis', where 'front-' meant 'forehead, front') and 'written' (from Old English 'wrītan', where 'wrītan' meant 'to scratch, to write').

'front' entered Middle English from Old French 'front' (from Latin 'frons'); 'written' is the past participle form of Old English 'wrītan' (via Middle English 'writen'); these elements were later combined in Modern English to form the compound adjective 'front-written'.

Initially, 'front' referred to the forehead or the forward side and 'wrītan' meant 'to scratch or inscribe'; over time the compound came to mean 'written on the front' in its current usage.