How to say it
FRAN · cis
/ˈfræn.sɪs/
Masculine
Francis
Frenchman, free
What it means
From the Latin Franciscus, 'Frenchman,' later read as 'free.'
Francis comes from the Latin Franciscus, 'the Frenchman,' a nickname that softened into a sense of 'free.' St. Francis of Assisi, who preached to the birds and embraced poverty, made it beloved, and Pope Francis took his name. The spelling is the tell: Francis is masculine, Frances feminine. It shares its root with Francisco and Francesca. Frank and Fran are the shorts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #29 in 1915, currently #420 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Francis (i) is masculine, Frances (e) feminine.
- Pop culture
St. Francis of Assisi; Pope Francis; Francis Ford Coppola.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- St. Francis of Assisi 13th-century friar, patron saint of animals and ecology
- Francis Ford Coppola American filmmaker (The Godfather)
Spelling variants
- Francisco
- François
- Franciszek
Names with the same feeling
See Francis from another angle
By meaning
By style