France
A surname often used for someone from France or for a Frenchman.
The #3,005 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,865 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually a nickname or ethnic label from the country name France, originally meaning “the Frenchman” or “person from France.” Lower explicitly treats it as coming from the country, and notes earlier forms such as Le Franceys and Le Franseys, which make the ethnic sense clear. The word ultimately goes back to the name of the Franks, the Germanic people whose name became attached to France.
History
The name is found in medieval English records in French-shaped forms, reflecting post-Conquest naming habits. It would have been applied to someone identified as French by origin, residence, or association, and later became hereditary as surnames stabilized. In modern English-speaking countries it survives as a relatively uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower specifically rejects deriving FRANCE from the personal name Francis, calling that name too recent for the surname’s origin.
From the historical record
“Noble and Gentle Men. FRANCE. From the country. FRANCIS. Not from the personal name, which is of too recent introduction ; but as in the H.R., Le Franceys, Le Franseys, Le Frauuceys, " the Frenchman." FRANEY. See Freyne. FRANK. FRANKS. FRANKES. The nursename Frank stands for Francis, Fran-”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom