boy's name
François
frahn-SWAH
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 404,708
France
#511
2025 births
François is a boy's name meaning a Frenchman, or a Frank — and it is the name that gives France its own. It peaked in 1963 and now ranks 511th in France, one of only two markets where it appears.
- François is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1963, when 5,825 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 6,935 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
François over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 46,875 |
| 1910s | 36,790 |
| 1920s | 43,340 |
| 1930s | 38,000 |
| 1940s | 42,755 |
| 1950s | 51,410 |
| 1960s | 53,695 |
| 1970s | 33,150 |
| 1980s | 29,995 |
| 1990s | 16,065 |
| 2000s | 5,200 |
| 2010s | 1,480 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 550 |
What François means
François means a Frenchman, or a Frank. The Franks were the Germanic people who took Gaul, and because only they held full freedom there, the word also came to mean free.
Where François comes from
François is the French form of the Latin Franciscus, meaning a Frank. The Franks gave their name to France itself, and because Frankish status meant legal freedom in conquered Gaul, franc came to mean free — the source of the English frank, meaning candid, and of franchise. Saint Francis of Assisi was christened Giovanni and nicknamed Francesco, the little Frenchman, for his fondness for French songs; the name we know him by is therefore a nickname about a different country. François I, who reigned from 1515, brought Leonardo da Vinci to France and made French the language of law in place of Latin.
François in use
François peaked in France in 1963, when 5,825 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 511th in France on 85 births and 5324th in the United States, across 404,708 lifetime births in three of the seven markets we track. Its feminine Françoise holds 402,152 lifetime births — almost exactly the same total — but charts in France alone.
How popular is François?
In 2025, François was given to 85 babies in France, ranking #511 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where François is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How François is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Francois | Francois is a spelling of François, used in the United States, where it ranks #5,324. | 5,738 |
Names that peaked alongside François
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like François also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with François over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for François
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.
François 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.
Sibling names for François
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with François — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about François
What does the name François mean?
A Frenchman, or a Frank — the Germanic people who gave France its name.
Is François the same as Francis?
Yes, the French and English forms of the Latin Franciscus.
Was Saint Francis called Francis?
No — he was christened Giovanni and nicknamed Francesco, the little Frenchman, for his love of French songs.
How popular is François?
511th in France, down from a 1963 peak of 5,825 births.
Is François a girl's or a boy's name?
François is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
What are the nicknames for François?
François is usually shortened to Fanch.
Is François a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. François currently ranks #511 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.