boy's name
Frank
FRANK
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 942,407
the United States
#514
2025 births
Frank is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "free man" or "Frank." The tribe gave France its name, and because only Franks held full freedom in Frankish Gaul, the word came to mean honest and open.
- Frank is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 17,089 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,677 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Frank 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 | 31,135 |
| 1890s | 28,939 |
| 1900s | 29,240 |
| 1910s | 116,577 |
| 1920s | 152,777 |
| 1930s | 108,707 |
| 1940s | 119,818 |
| 1950s | 112,698 |
| 1960s | 87,539 |
| 1970s | 47,290 |
| 1980s | 33,857 |
| 1990s | 24,067 |
| 2000s | 14,480 |
| 2010s | 9,480 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,985 |
What Frank means
Frank means a member of the Frankish tribe, and by extension free. The English adjective frank, meaning candid, descends from the same word by way of that legal freedom.
Where Frank comes from
Frank comes from the Germanic tribal name, possibly from a javelin the Franks used. They conquered Gaul in the fifth century and gave it their name, and because only Franks held full legal freedom there, francus in Medieval Latin came to mean free — from which English took frank, franchise and enfranchise. Frank also shortens Francis, from the Latin Franciscus, meaning a Frank; Francis of Assisi was nicknamed the little Frenchman for his father's trade with France. The Anne Frank diary is the name's most widely read association.
Frank in use
Our data shows Frank falling, peaking in 1918, at 186 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. It joins Francesca, Frankie and Francis on this site — four entries from the same tribal name, spanning Italian, English and pet forms.
How popular is Frank?
In 2025, Frank was given to 584 babies in the United States, ranking #514 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Frank 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.
Names that peaked alongside Frank
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Frank also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Frank over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Frank
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.
Frank 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.
- Aragonese
- Francisco
- Catalan
- Francesc
- Galician
- Francisco
- Hungarian
- Ferenc
- Icelandic
- Frans
- Latvian
- Francis
- Polish
- Franciszek
- Portuguese
- Francisco
- Sorbian
- Franc
- Upper Sorbian
- Franc
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Frantz
Sibling names for Frank
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Frank — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Frank
What does the name Frank mean?
Frank means "free man" or a member of the Frankish tribe, who gave France its name.
Why does frank mean honest?
Only Franks held full legal freedom in Frankish Gaul, so the tribal name came to mean free — and free speech became frank speech.
Is Frank short for Francis?
It can be, though Frank is also an independent name from the same tribal source.
How popular is the name Frank?
In 2025, Frank was given to 584 babies in the United States, ranking #514 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Frank a girl's or a boy's name?
Frank is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Frank?
Frank has 1 syllable.
When was Frank most popular?
Frank peaked in 1918, when 17,089 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Frank?
Frank is usually shortened to Frankie.
Is Frank a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Frank currently ranks #186 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.