Francis
Meaning of Francis
Francis carries a quietly timeless charm, rooted in the Latin Franciscus, or “Frenchman,” yet it has wandered far beyond medieval Europe to feel perfectly at home on modern American playgrounds. Listeners instantly catch its friendly FRAN-sis lilt—crisp at the start, soft at the finish—much like a firm handshake that melts into a hug. History lends it big shoes to fill: think animal-loving St. Francis of Assisi, inventive minds like Sir Francis Bacon, cinematic storyteller Francis Ford Coppola, and even today’s Pope Francis, whose gentle leadership keeps the name in the headlines. Despite drifting down the popularity charts since its Gilded Age heyday, Francis still welcomes roughly 700 baby boys a year in the U.S., proving that classic style never really clocks out. It balances scholarly polish with boy-next-door approachability, and the built-in nicknames—Frank, Frankie, even Francie—let a child grow into whichever version of himself he chooses. For parents seeking a name that feels both saintly and down-to-earth, Francis offers a passport to centuries of wisdom wrapped in an easygoing smile.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as FRAN-sis (/ˈfrænsɪs/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Francis
| Francis Crick was an English scientist who, with James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins, helped reveal the double helix structure of DNA. |
| Saint Francis Xavier was a Navarrese cleric and missionary who co-founded the Society of Jesus and led the first Christian mission to Japan under the Portuguese Empire. |
| Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, was an Italian mystic and friar who founded the Franciscans and embraced poverty as a wandering preacher. |
| Francis Sellers Collins is an American physician-scientist who discovered genes linked to several diseases, led the Human Genome Project, directed the NIH from 2009 to 2021 under three presidents, and announced his retirement from the NIH in 2025 after 32 years of service. |
| Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer and poet best known for writing the Star Spangled Banner after witnessing the 1814 bombardment of Fort McHenry. |
| Francis Chan is an American Protestant author, teacher, and preacher who founded Cornerstone Community Church in 1994 and Eternity Bible College in 2004, later serving as its early chancellor until 2010. |
| British architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury designed British Columbia's legislative building and was later murdered in England by his second wife's lover after a scandalous divorce. |
| Francis Arinze is a Nigerian Catholic prelate who led major Vatican departments, advised Pope John Paul II, was considered a papal contender in 2005, and is the last surviving Nigerian council father from the Second Vatican Council. |
| Francis de Geronimo - Francesco de Geronimo, or Francis Jerome, was an Italian Jesuit known for dynamic preaching across Naples and for composing Diu vi Salvi Regina, later adopted as Corsicas anthem. |
| Sir Francis Darwin was a British botanist and the third son of naturalist Charles Darwin. |
