boy's name
Francis
FRAN-siss
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 511,971
the United States
#420
2025 births
Francis is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "Frenchman" or "free man." It began as a nickname — Francis of Assisi was christened Giovanni and called Francesco because his father traded with France.
- Francis is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 7,000 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 3,721 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Francis over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,915 |
| 1890s | 5,625 |
| 1900s | 8,450 |
| 1910s | 45,446 |
| 1920s | 65,206 |
| 1930s | 44,960 |
| 1940s | 42,400 |
| 1950s | 36,880 |
| 1960s | 20,830 |
| 1970s | 11,290 |
| 1980s | 10,838 |
| 1990s | 8,460 |
| 2000s | 5,322 |
| 2010s | 6,095 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,605 |
What Francis means
Francis means a Frank, and so a Frenchman or a free man. The Franks gave France its name, and their legal freedom in Frankish Gaul turned the tribal word into a term for liberty.
Where Francis comes from
Francis comes from the Latin Franciscus, meaning a Frank. Its European spread rests entirely on one man: Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was nicknamed Francesco, the little Frenchman, because his father was a cloth merchant trading with France, and as Francis of Assisi he became one of the most influential figures in Christianity. The name was almost unused before him. Pope Francis, elected 2013, was the first to take it. Frances is the feminine, and the -is and -es spellings distinguish the sexes in English but nowhere else.
Francis in use
Our data shows Francis falling and it first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. It joins Frank, Frankie and Francesca on this site — four entries from the Frankish tribal name, spanning a nickname that became a saint's name that became a papal one.
How popular is Francis?
In 2025, Francis was given to 891 babies in the United States, ranking #420 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Francis is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Francis is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Françis | Françis is a rare spelling of Francis, written with a cedilla and recorded about 180 times, mostly in France. | 180 |
Names that peaked alongside Francis
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Francis also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Francis over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Francis
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Francis in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Catalan
- Francesc
- Hungarian
- Ferenc
- Icelandic
- Frans
- Polish
- Franciszek
- Spanish
- Franco
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Frantz Francois Franciscus
Sibling names for Francis
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Francis — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Francis
What does the name Francis mean?
Francis means "Frenchman" or "free man," from the Frankish tribal name.
Was Francis of Assisi's real name Francis?
No — he was christened Giovanni and nicknamed Francesco, the little Frenchman, because his father traded with France.
What is the difference between Francis and Frances?
Francis is male and Frances female in English. No other language makes the distinction by spelling.
How popular is the name Francis?
In 2025, Francis was given to 891 babies in the United States, ranking #420 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Francis a girl's or a boy's name?
Francis is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Francis?
Francis has 2 syllables.
When was Francis most popular?
Francis peaked in 1918, when 7,000 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Francis?
Francis is usually shortened to Frank, Frankie and Fran.
Is Francis a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Francis currently ranks #194 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.