Francis

FRAN-sis

A classic name tied to St. Francis and the idea of freedom.

Meaning

Francis comes from Latin Franciscus, meaning 'Frenchman' or 'of the Franks,' with the underlying ethnic sense of 'free' in the old name books cited here. The name spread through Christian tradition because of St. Francis, and English use is shown in the excerpts as a long-established form. Related forms include Francisco, Francesco, François, Franz, and Frank.

Origin

Fun fact

The excerpts show Francis as the base form behind Frances, Fanny, and Franny in English naming tradition.

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Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland, A list of Christian names, their derivatives, nicknames and equivalents in several languages.

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