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Francis

Heart
Latin
"Frenchman or free man"

Francis Origin and Meaning

The name Francis is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "Frenchman or free man".

Since this was the name chosen by the current Roman Catholic pope, Francis has come into the spotlight.

The name, which was in the Top 10 at the turn of the last century, has been pretty much confined to Irish and Italian Catholics -- think F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Albert Sinatra, Francis Ford Coppola -- for decades, and still has a somewhat starchy feel. But with its similarity to the increasingly popular female Frances, and its recent newsworthiness, we can see it making a possible comeback beyond those worlds. And in fact, the name has risen a bit in the charts since its all-time low of 680 in 2009.

Animal-loving parents might be inspired by the connection to Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni), who was said to be able to communicate with animals and was made the patron saint of ecology. Another Francis, Saint Francis de Sales, is the patron saint of writers and editors.

# 462 in the US

Francis Rank in US Top 1000

# 258 on Nameberry

Francis Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Francis Popularity

20 Names Similar to Francis

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Francis.

Famous People Named Francis

  • Francis I and IIKings of France
  • Francis I (Francis Stephen) and Francis IIHoly Roman Emperors
  • Francis I (Francesco Gennaro Giuseppe) and Francis II (Francesco d'Assisi Maria Leopoldo)Kings of the Two Sicilies
  • Saint Francis of Assisi
  • Francis XavierSpanish cofounder of the Society of Jesus
  • Francis Rous (15791658), Puritan, hymnist
  • Francis de SalesBishop of Geneva
  • Francis NashAmerican Revolutionary general
  • Francis Scott KeyAmerican poet; writer of the U.S. National Anthem
  • Francis Minden Knollis (18151863), hymnist
  • Francis SheehySkeffington, Irish writer, activist and pacifist
  • Francis TaylorAmerican art dealer; father of Elizabeth Taylor
  • Francis Albert "Frank" SinatraAmerican pop singer and actor
  • Francis CrozierAnglo,Irish officer of the Royal Navy, polar explorer, and researcher
  • Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio)current Pope
  • Francis Scott Key FitzgeraldAmerican novelist
  • Francis Bacon1st Viscount St Alban, English philosopher and statesman
  • Francis Jean Marcel PoulencFrench composer
  • Francis Harry Compton CrickEnglish scientist who discovered DNA structure
  • Francis Ford CoppolaAmerican film director
  • Francis FukuyamaAmerican political scientist
  • Francis "Hill" HarperAmerican actor
  • (Francis) Jameson Parker Jr.American actor
  • Francis BouillonAmerican hockey player
  • Francis GaltonEnglish polymath
  • Christopher Francis "Frank" OceanAmerican musician
  • Francis William AstonEnglish chemist; winner of the Nobel Prize
  • Francis Peyton RousAmerican virologist; winner of the Nobel Prize
  • Francis "Coyote" ShiversCanadian musician/actor
  • Francis Jonathan (b. 2009)son of actress Ashley Jensen

Francis in Pop Culture

  • Francis Abernathycharacter in Donna Tartt's "The Secret History"
  • Francis Bonnefoypersonification of France in "Axis Powers: Hetalia"
  • Francis Dolarhydecharacter in book/movie "Red Dragon"
  • FrancisMalcolm's oldest brother on TV's "Malcolm in the Middle"
  • Francis Gagecharacter on TV's "Walker, Texas Ranger"
  • FrancisPrince of France on TV's "Reign"
  • Francis "Frank" Underwoodcharacter on TV's "House of Cards"
  • Francis the Talking Mulecharacter in several films
  • Francis GriffinPeter's dad on TV's "Family Guy"
  • Francis Ray Ottomancharacter in webcomic PvP
  • Francischaracter in video game "Left 4 Dead"
  • Francischaracter in movie "Spy Kids 3,D: Game Over"
  • Francismain cat character in "Felidae" by Akif Pirinçci
  • Francisladybug character Pixar's "A Bug's Life"
  • Francis Freemancharacter in movie "Deadpool"
  • Francis "Frank" Delfinocharacter in "How to Get Away with Murder"
  • Francis "Frank" Mosescharacter in "RED"
  • Francis Farewell Starlitemusician and producer of "Francis and the Lights"
  • Francis de SaintGermain, immortal character in Michael Scott's "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel"