Franco
Top 1000
About Franco
A classic Italian name still heard in the Italian-American community. Once tainted by the association with the Spanish dictator, it's now more likely to call up actor James Franco.
The bright o ending and the popularity of Pope Francis could increase the appeal of this name.
As of October 2026, Franco ranked #747 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #702 in 2016.
Editor's take: The name Franco is a boy's name of Italian origin meaning "Frenchman or free man".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #826 | 274 | 142.6 |
| 2015 | #875 | 254 | 132.5 |
| 2016 | #702 | 353 | 186 |
| 2017 | #727 | 328 | 177.2 |
| 2018 | #808 | 279 | 153.6 |
| 2019 | #853 | 262 | 146 |
| 2020 | #944 | 233 | 135 |
| 2021 | #866 | 268 | 153.2 |
| 2022 | #837 | 291 | 166.7 |
| 2023 | #780 | 325 | 190 |
| 2024 | #742 | 345 | 200.2 |
| 2025 | #747 | 348 | 203.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Famous Francos
- Franco Harris
former American football player
- Franco Nero
Italian actor, husband of Vanessa Redgrave
- James Franco
American actor
- Dave Franco
American actor
- Francisco Franco
Spanish dictator
- Franco Modigliani
winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics
- Franco Colapinto
Argentine racing driver
Franco in pop culture
- Franco
James Franco's character on General Hospital