Francis
Francis is an English, French, German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name of Latin origin.
Meaning & Origin of Francis
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Francis is an English, French, German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name of Latin origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Francis
As a girl name
Francis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 55 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 673 Franciss were born — ranking #247 that year. As of 2026, Francis ranks #2,066 for girls with 94 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 30K Franciss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Francis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 344 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 6,347 Franciss were born — ranking #30 that year. As of 2026, Francis ranks #448 for boys with 710 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 291K Franciss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Francis
Phonetically similar names — useful when Francis 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 Francis
What does the name Francis mean?
How popular is Francis in 2026?
When was Francis most popular?
In which U.S. states is Francis most popular?
Is Francis a unisex name?
What names go well with Francis?
About the name Francis
Francis is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 291K births in the dataset. Francis's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #29. Use the chart and map above to compare Francis'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 boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.