Nameling

Francis

Gender
Boy
Say it
FRAHN-siss
Origin
Latin
UK rank, 2025
#199 for boys
US rank, 2025
#420 for boys

Francis is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “French”. In 2025 it ranked 199th for boys in the UK (282 babies) and 420th for boys in the US (769 babies).

What does Francis mean?

Latin: from Late Latin Franciscus

“French”

From Late Latin Franciscus, Frenchman, the name by which St Francis of Assisi is known.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Francis a girl's or a boy's name?

Francis is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 13 girls and 282 boys in the UK and 122 girls and 769 boys in the US.

How popular is Francis in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#199among boys
Babies in 2025
282about 1 in 1,100 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 1% in five years
Same name in a class
1.3%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 282 boys in the UK were named Francis, making it the 199th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 213th. Its busiest year was 2019, with 294 boys. 13 girls were also named Francis in 2025 (2,206th for girls).

2025 had more boys named Francis than any year since 2019.

Half of all the boys named Francis in the UK since 1996 were born between 2004 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 193rd in England and Wales, 298th in Scotland and 237th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#28), 1914 (#34), 1924 (#43), 1934 (#42), 1944 (#54), 1954 (#61) and 1964 (#82).

1996Busiest: 294 in 20192025
Francis in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025282#199
2024273#204
2023235#230
2022264#217
2021268#216
2020262#213
2019294#193
2018245#237
2017247#246
2016285#220
2015260#241
2014285#223
2013237#239
2012204#266
2011172#297
2010166#301
2009180#276
2008190#258
2007219#229
2006209#221
2005194#214
2004197#210
2003195#210
2002176#208
2001168#212
2000169#208
1999200#187
1998200#184
1997204#187
1996191#190

How popular is Francis in the US?

Rank in 2025
#420among boys
Babies in 2025
769about 1 in 2,200 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 17% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 769 boys in the US were named Francis, making it the 420th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 481st. Its busiest year was 1918, with 6,347 boys. 122 girls were also named Francis in 2025 (1,684th for girls).

It has been given to more boys each year for the last 6 years. 2025 had more boys named Francis than any year since 1992.

Half of all the boys named Francis in the US since 1880 were born between 1922 and 1955, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 14% of the babies named Francis in the US were girls.

1880Busiest: 6,347 in 19182025
Francis in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025769#420
2024695#450
2023677#456
2022664#462
2021637#466
2020616#481
2019605#484
2018610#479
2017662#458
2016638#481
2015622#481
2014593#480
2013539#505
2012430#593
2011387#617
2010358#670
2009359#676
2008368#660
2007402#616
2006451#556
2005463#526
2004456#524
2003465#518
2002464#497
2001546#444
2000559#435
1999542#430
1998580#410
1997628#385
1996607#384
1995697#352
1994726#339
1993753#335
1992803#318
1991824#313
1990919#284
1989921#268
1988952#246
1987949#244
1986915#245
1985935#245
1984902#243
1983961#232
1982981#238
1981974#236
1980922#243
1979929#237
1978940#225
1977896#235
1976836#240
1975957#217
1974888#233
1973979#223
1972989#222
19711,209#201
19701,389#192
19691,429#189
19681,515#175
19671,583#169
19661,696#164
19651,815#164
19642,068#159
19632,174#153
19622,293#148
19612,345#148
19602,416#145
19592,649#136
19582,620#135
19572,936#128
19563,301#111
19553,439#100
19543,686#94
19533,875#90
19523,979#89
19514,199#85
19504,082#86
19494,281#78
19484,214#80
19474,208#84
19464,006#80
19453,448#76
19443,652#71
19434,068#64
19424,297#58
19413,738#60
19403,607#61
19393,721#53
19383,951#51
19373,730#55
19363,876#50
19353,894#53
19344,006#49
19334,093#45
19324,388#43
19314,735#42
19304,990#42
19295,270#39
19285,516#40
19275,644#36
19265,789#35
19255,978#35
19246,131#34
19236,087#34
19226,147#34
19216,293#35
19206,241#34
19195,726#34
19186,347#30
19175,801#30
19165,652#31
19155,594#29
19143,901#31
19133,205#30
19122,516#35
19111,311#33
19101,000#36
1909886#33
1908853#34
1907717#37
1906737#35
1905685#36
1904686#36
1903665#35
1902597#38
1901543#36
1900652#41
1899501#38
1898541#43
1897496#43
1896551#39
1895480#45
1894423#50
1893418#48
1892429#50
1891333#54
1890363#54
1889346#55
1888353#57
1887327#53
1886344#55
1885319#56
1884340#57
1883285#60
1882327#56
1881259#63
1880344#50

Nicknames for Francis

Names like Francis

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Frederick Alfred Wilfred Albert Arthur Stanley Otis Ralph Edward Harris Henry Ellis

Other spellings of Francis

Frances

Names related to Francis

Francois

More Latin names

Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Emily Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian

Every Latin name

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, “Francis: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/francis, updated 20 October 2026.