Francis is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Francis means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Francis across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Francis has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Francis is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “free one, Frenchman”. borne by St Francis of Assisi.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 320,322 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 5,873 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,386 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 319 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 7,282 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 420 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 Francis per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (7,000/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (429/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (275/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (109/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (23/yr).
Francis has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #63 nationally (given to 7,000 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1910s.
Frances · Francies · Francys · Francess · Franciso · Francese · Francise · Francesa
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