Frances
Frances is an English given name or last name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'the French.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the Franks, originally meaning "free."
Meaning & Origin of Frances
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Frances is an English given name or last name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'the French.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the Franks, originally meaning "free."
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Frances
Frances first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 605 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 16,131 Francess were born — ranking #8 that year. As of 2026, Frances ranks #372 for baby girls with 813 births, gradually rising (+6%). In total, more than 596K Francess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Frances
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Frances Abington (1737–1815), English actress
- Frances Dorothy Acomb (1907–1984), American historian
- Frances Alda (1879–1952), New Zealand-born, Australian-raised operatic lyric soprano
- Frances Allitsen (1848–1912), English composer
- Frances Allen (1932–2020), American computer scientist and pioneer in the field of optimizing compilers
- Frances Arnold (born 1956), American chemical engineer and Nobel Laureate
- Dame Frances Ashcroft (born 1952), British ion channel physiologist
- Frances Atkins , British chef
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Frances
Phonetically similar names — useful when Frances is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frances
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About the name Frances
Frances is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 596K births in the dataset. Frances's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #8. Use the chart and map above to compare Frances's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.