Francesca
Francesca was the 307th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 984 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 122 places. More babies were named Francesca in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Frenchwoman (feminine of Francis) · Latin, Italian
Say it fran-CHES-kuh /frænˈtʃɛskə/
- Rank in 2025
- #307 girls, up 148 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 984girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025984 babies
- Total since 1880
- 35,364babies recorded
What does the name Francesca mean?
Francesca is the Italian feminine of Francesco (Francis). DMNES derives Frances and Francis from Latin Franciscus, "Frankish, French", and notes the 15th-century Italian saint Frances of Rome; the name spread with the cult of Saint Francis of Assisi. Dante's Francesca da Rimini in the Inferno is a famous literary bearer.
Franciscus (Medieval Latin, “Frankish, French”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Frances, Francisca, Frankie, Chessie.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Francesca', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Frances', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Francesca
The usual nicknames for Francesca are Frankie, Fran, Frannie and Chessie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Francesca in the last five years, 62 were named Frankie, against 13 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankie · also for Francisco, Franklin, Frances | Modern | #552 | 2,696 |
| Fran · also for Frances, Francis, Francine | Traditional | — | — |
| Frannie · also for Frances, Francine | Traditional | — | — |
| Chessie | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Francescas go by each one.
Francesca popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 33 since 1979.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #307 | 984 |
| 2020 | #455 | 679 |
| 2010 | #494 | 606 |
| 2000 | #405 | 701 |
| 1990 | #462 | 529 |
| 1980 | #688 | 252 |
| 1970 | #824 | 167 |
| 1960 | #894 | 138 |
| 1950 | #1,611 | 34 |
| 1940 | #1,916 | 18 |
| 1930 | #4,230 | 6 |
| 1920 | #1,772 | 23 |
| 1910 | #1,831 | 8 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Francesca, counting every spelling?
Francesca is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #331 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #307 for Francesca on its own. Together these spellings went to 991 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francesca | 984 | #307 | 4,336 |
| Franceska | 7 | #12,334 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Francesca?
984 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Francesca (0.27 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Francesca born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Francesca.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Francesca?
About 33,800 people born in the US named Francesca are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 11 and 36. That makes Francesca mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Francesca by state
How common Francesca was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Rhode Island (6.1×), New Jersey (3.9×), Connecticut (3.5×), Massachusetts (2.9×), Illinois (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Oklahoma, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Francesca: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Francesca, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Francesca · Sibling names for Francesca
Questions about the name Francesca
What does Francesca mean?
Francesca means “Frenchwoman (feminine of Francis)” (Latin, Italian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Francesca?
Francesca was the 307th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 984 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 122 places. More babies were named Francesca in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Francesca a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Francesca in the US.
Where is Francesca most popular?
In 2021–2025, Francesca was most common in Rhode Island (3.27 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Jersey and Connecticut.