Francis

English form of the Late Latin name Franciscus, meaning “Frenchman” and ultimately derived from the Germanic Franks, whose name was linked to a kind of spear they used (Proto-Germanic * frankô). The name became widely known through the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni and nicknamed Francesco by his father, who admired the French; Francis renounced his wealth, dedicated his life to the poor, founded the Franciscan order, and is said to have received the stigmata. His fame helped spread the name across Western Europe in the Middle Ages, though it was not commonly used in Britain until the 16th century. Notable bearers include Saint Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Francis Bacon (1561–1626), Francis Drake (1540–1595), and Pope Francis (1936–2025), and in English it is occasionally used for girls as a variant of the homophone Frances.

Francis rose from #450 to #420 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1918, with 6,347 births.