Francis

Did you know?

A few things about Francis you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Francis

Francis Crick

British molecular biologist, biophysicist, neuroscientist; co-discoverer of the structure of DNA (1916–2004)

Choose Francis and your child shares a first name with Francis Crick, a British molecular biologist, biophysicist, neuroscientist; co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Francis, like who?” Francis Crick's Wikipedia article is available in 97 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Francis Crick on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,221 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Francis, 769 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Francis would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryFrancis has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Franciss, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1915, when it ranked #29. Today it's #420, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendFrancis has climbed 61 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #420. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedFrancis is most popular in Rhode Island, where it ranks #155, followed by Washington, D.C. (#168) and Hawaii (#180). It's in the top 1,000 in 34 states.
• ⚖️Boy or girlFrancis is given to both boys and girls: 86% of the 891 babies named Francis in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningIn Latin, Francis means “Frenchman”.

About the name Francis

Francis is a gender-neutral name of Latin origin meaning “Frenchman”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with F and ending in “-cis”. US birth records list Francis for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked #29 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #420, with 769 babies. Of the 891 US babies named Francis in 2025, 14% were girls and 86% were boys.

Origin:Latin names