Francesca
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- fran-CHESS-ka
- Origin
- Latin
- UK rank, 2025
- #114 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #307 for girls
Francesca is a girls' name of Latin origin, meaning “French”. In 2025 it ranked 114th for girls in the UK (463 babies) and 307th for girls in the US (984 babies).
What does Francesca mean?
Latin: Italian feminine of Francesco
“French”
Italian feminine of Francis; Francesca da Rimini is a tragic lover in Dante's Inferno.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Francesca a girl's or a boy's name?
Francesca is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 463 girls in the UK and 984 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Francesca in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #114among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 463about 1 in 600 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 13% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.3%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 463 girls in the UK were named Francesca, making it the 114th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 116th. Its busiest year was 1998, with 1,087 girls.
Half of all the girls named Francesca in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 107th in England and Wales, 191st in Scotland and 205th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#59), 2004 (#79) and 2014 (#87).
Francesca in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 463 | #114 |
| 2024 | 490 | #109 |
| 2023 | 444 | #126 |
| 2022 | 460 | #122 |
| 2021 | 493 | #114 |
| 2020 | 486 | #116 |
| 2019 | 523 | #107 |
| 2018 | 595 | #96 |
| 2017 | 630 | #96 |
| 2016 | 641 | #100 |
| 2015 | 682 | #96 |
| 2014 | 666 | #95 |
| 2013 | 715 | #87 |
| 2012 | 649 | #100 |
| 2011 | 627 | #102 |
| 2010 | 607 | #107 |
| 2009 | 621 | #102 |
| 2008 | 637 | #96 |
| 2007 | 647 | #94 |
| 2006 | 712 | #87 |
| 2005 | 714 | #85 |
| 2004 | 669 | #87 |
| 2003 | 648 | #89 |
| 2002 | 625 | #89 |
| 2001 | 721 | #80 |
| 2000 | 784 | #76 |
| 1999 | 948 | #62 |
| 1998 | 1,087 | #60 |
| 1997 | 1,009 | #64 |
| 1996 | 986 | #66 |
How popular is Francesca in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #307among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 984about 1 in 1,600 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 40% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 984 girls in the US were named Francesca, making it the 307th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 455th. It first appears in the records in 1895.
It has been given to more girls each year for the last 6 years. 2025 had the most girls named Francesca of any year since it first appeared, in 1895.
Half of all the girls named Francesca in the US since 1880 were born between 1988 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
Francesca in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 984 | #307 |
| 2024 | 976 | #315 |
| 2023 | 822 | #374 |
| 2022 | 812 | #387 |
| 2021 | 742 | #424 |
| 2020 | 679 | #455 |
| 2019 | 641 | #489 |
| 2018 | 674 | #467 |
| 2017 | 740 | #432 |
| 2016 | 767 | #425 |
| 2015 | 744 | #429 |
| 2014 | 753 | #425 |
| 2013 | 721 | #422 |
| 2012 | 635 | #483 |
| 2011 | 594 | #497 |
| 2010 | 606 | #494 |
| 2009 | 666 | #465 |
| 2008 | 646 | #488 |
| 2007 | 680 | #472 |
| 2006 | 747 | #423 |
| 2005 | 714 | #432 |
| 2004 | 711 | #426 |
| 2003 | 715 | #420 |
| 2002 | 716 | #408 |
| 2001 | 723 | #402 |
| 2000 | 701 | #405 |
| 1999 | 755 | #380 |
| 1998 | 755 | #375 |
| 1997 | 770 | #359 |
| 1996 | 786 | #353 |
| 1995 | 725 | #361 |
| 1994 | 709 | #365 |
| 1993 | 635 | #397 |
| 1992 | 683 | #377 |
| 1991 | 562 | #451 |
| 1990 | 529 | #460 |
| 1989 | 458 | #510 |
| 1988 | 600 | #402 |
| 1987 | 570 | #399 |
| 1986 | 604 | #383 |
| 1985 | 408 | #497 |
| 1984 | 353 | #541 |
| 1983 | 302 | #590 |
| 1982 | 279 | #641 |
| 1981 | 269 | #659 |
| 1980 | 252 | #685 |
| 1979 | 287 | #615 |
| 1978 | 273 | #619 |
| 1977 | 264 | #633 |
| 1976 | 231 | #662 |
| 1975 | 194 | #741 |
| 1974 | 230 | #662 |
| 1973 | 211 | #704 |
| 1972 | 200 | #717 |
| 1971 | 193 | #757 |
| 1970 | 167 | #823 |
| 1969 | 155 | #826 |
| 1968 | 166 | #776 |
| 1967 | 148 | #820 |
| 1966 | 142 | #838 |
| 1965 | 108 | #1,004 |
| 1964 | 147 | #858 |
| 1963 | 128 | #934 |
| 1962 | 130 | #931 |
| 1961 | 118 | #997 |
| 1960 | 138 | #892 |
| 1959 | 155 | #823 |
| 1958 | 126 | #915 |
| 1957 | 99 | #1,048 |
| 1956 | 143 | #825 |
| 1955 | 107 | #952 |
| 1954 | 96 | #993 |
| 1953 | 97 | #967 |
| 1952 | 84 | #1,021 |
| 1951 | 48 | #1,338 |
| 1950 | 34 | #1,601 |
| 1949 | 65 | #1,120 |
| 1948 | 45 | #1,369 |
| 1947 | 45 | #1,376 |
| 1946 | 35 | #1,480 |
| 1945 | 21 | #1,824 |
| 1944 | 14 | #2,400 |
| 1943 | 21 | #1,899 |
| 1942 | 17 | #2,116 |
| 1941 | 16 | #2,095 |
| 1940 | 18 | #1,899 |
| 1939 | 15 | #2,125 |
| 1938 | 18 | #1,873 |
| 1937 | 10 | #2,734 |
| 1936 | 13 | #2,262 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 12 | #2,423 |
| 1933 | 10 | #2,687 |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,899 |
| 1931 | 18 | #1,875 |
| 1930 | 6 | #4,045 |
| 1929 | 11 | #2,736 |
| 1928 | 13 | #2,496 |
| 1927 | 13 | #2,551 |
| 1926 | 19 | #1,996 |
| 1925 | 15 | #2,377 |
| 1924 | 15 | #2,408 |
| 1923 | 12 | #2,732 |
| 1922 | 15 | #2,387 |
| 1921 | 35 | #1,341 |
| 1920 | 23 | #1,751 |
| 1919 | 8 | #3,450 |
| 1918 | 17 | #2,101 |
| 1917 | 22 | #1,652 |
| 1916 | 17 | #1,949 |
| 1915 | 32 | #1,231 |
| 1914 | 20 | #1,444 |
| 1913 | 18 | #1,358 |
| 1912 | 18 | #1,252 |
| 1911 | 8 | #1,792 |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,773 |
| 1909 | 6 | #1,957 |
| 1908 | 5 | #2,101 |
| 1907 | 7 | #1,638 |
| 1906 | 8 | #1,416 |
| 1905 | 8 | #1,419 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 8 | #1,318 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 6 | #1,384 |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 7 | #1,299 |
Nicknames for Francesca
- Fran
- Frankie 971 boys in the UK in 2025
- Cesca
Names like Francesca
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Jessica Jasmine Molly Abigail Emily Victoria Alexandra Zoe Chloe Amber Fatima Holly
Names related to Francesca
More Latin names
Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian Clara
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Francesca: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/francesca, updated 20 October 2026.