Franklin

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Franklin

Franklin Chang-Díaz

Costa Rican-American astronaut and physicist

Choose Franklin and your child shares a first name with Franklin Chang-Díaz, a Costa Rican-American astronaut and physicist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Franklin, like who?” Franklin Chang-Díaz's Wikipedia article is available in 32 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Franklin Chang-Díaz on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: NASA, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,879 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Franklin, 909 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Franklin would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryFranklin has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Franklins, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1933, when it ranked #33. Today it's #359, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendFranklin has climbed 55 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #359. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedFranklin is most popular in South Dakota, where it ranks #145, followed by Wisconsin (#192) and Oregon (#198). It's in the top 1,000 in 37 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Franklin means “free landholder”.

About the name Franklin

Franklin is a boy name of English origin meaning “free landholder”. It has 8 letters and 2 syllables, starting with F and ending in “-lin”. US birth records list Franklin for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked #33 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #359, with 909 babies.

Origin:English names