Frances is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Frances means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Frances across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Frances has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Frances is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “free one, from France”. the feminine form of Francis.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 600,721 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,429 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,065 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 44 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,509 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,212 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Frances per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (16,229/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (274/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (173/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (72/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (6/yr).
Frances has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #17 nationally (given to 16,229 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1910s.
Francis · Francies · Francys · Francess · Franciso · Francese · Francise · Francesa
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