Francis
Francis was the 420th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 769 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 29th; the most babies were born in 1918 (6,347). Over the last ten years it has moved up 61 places. More babies were named Francis in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Frenchman, Frank · Latin
Say it FRAN-sis /ˈfrænsɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #420 boys, up 62 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 769boys
- Girls and boys
- 12% girls, 88% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19186,347 babies
- Total since 1880
- 320,322babies recorded
What does the name Francis mean?
Francis comes from Latin Franciscus, "Frankish, French". DMNES explains that it spread through Saint Francis of Assisi (13th century), whose father gave him the nickname, and lists two medieval French kings. The Random House dictionary glosses it "Frenchman". Francis is now mainly a man's name; Frances is the usual feminine spelling.
Franciscus (Medieval Latin, “Frankish, French”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Frances, Francisco, Frank, Franz.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Francis', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Francis', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Francis', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Francis
The usual nicknames for Francis are Frank, Frankie and Fran. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Francis in the last five years, 96 were named Frank, against 320 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank · also for Francisco, Franklin | Traditional | #514 | 3,291 |
| Frankie · also for Francisco, Francesca, Franklin | Traditional | #922 | 1,078 |
| Fran · also for Francesca, Frances, Francine | Traditional | #11,111 | 6 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Franciss go by each one.
Francis popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,685 | #420 | 122 | 769 |
| 2020 | #2,291 | #482 | 78 | 616 |
| 2010 | #3,539 | #671 | 45 | 358 |
| 2000 | #1,544 | #435 | 116 | 559 |
| 1990 | #1,113 | #284 | 157 | 919 |
| 1980 | #968 | #243 | 153 | 922 |
| 1970 | #938 | #192 | 137 | 1,389 |
| 1960 | #728 | #145 | 193 | 2,416 |
| 1950 | #509 | #86 | 254 | 4,082 |
| 1940 | #370 | #61 | 317 | 3,607 |
| 1930 | #307 | #42 | 467 | 4,990 |
| 1920 | #259 | #34 | 653 | 6,241 |
| 1910 | #254 | #36 | 227 | 1,000 |
| 1900 | #257 | #41 | 159 | 652 |
| 1890 | #246 | #55 | 101 | 363 |
| 1880 | #206 | #50 | 55 | 344 |
How popular is Francis, counting every spelling?
Francis has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #421 for boys in 2025, against #420 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Chosen/Chozen/Chozyn move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Francis?
769 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Francis (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Francis 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 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Francis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Francis?
About 98,800 people born in the US named Francis are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 41 and 75. That makes Francis a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Francis by state
How common Francis was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.9×), Massachusetts (3.2×), New Hampshire (2.6×), Minnesota (2.5×), Pennsylvania (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Arkansas, Utah, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Francis: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Francis, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Francis · Sibling names for Francis
Questions about the name Francis
What does Francis mean?
Francis means “Frenchman, Frank” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Francis?
Francis was the 420th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 769 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 29th; the most babies were born in 1918 (6,347). Over the last ten years it has moved up 61 places. More babies were named Francis in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Francis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 12% girls, 88% boys given the name Francis in the US.
Where is Francis most popular?
In 2021–2025, Francis was most common in District of Columbia (1.97 per 1,000 boys), followed by Massachusetts and New Hampshire.