Francis (given name)
Francis is an English given name of Latin origin.
Francis is a name that has many derivatives in most European languages. The female version of the name in English is Frances, and Francine.. The name Frank is a common diminutive for Francis, and Frannie is for Frances..
Derivation
was the name given to Saint Francis of Assisi by his francophile father, celebrating his trade with French merchants. Due to the renown of the saint, this Italian name became widespread in Western Europe during the Middle Ages in different versions. However, it was not regularly used in Britain until the 16th century as Francis.The name of France itself comes from the Germanic people known as the Franks; the origin of their name is unclear but is thought to mean "free".
The characteristic national weapon of the Franks was the francisca, a throwing axe.
Related names in other languages
Related names are common in other Western European languages, in countries that are Catholic. Other non-European languages have also adopted variants of the name. These names include:- Arabic: فرانشيسكو, فرنسيس, فرانسيس
- Aragonese: Francho
- Armenian: Ֆրանծիսկոս
- Asturian: Xicu
- Albanian: Françesku
- Alemannic German: Franz
- Basque: Frantzisko, Frantziska, Patxi
- Belarusian: Francišak, Францішак
- Bulgarian: Франциск
- Breton: Franseza, Frañsez, Fañch, Fañchig, Soaig, Saig
- Catalan: Francesc, Cesc, Cesco, Xesc, Xisco, Fran ; Francesca, Cisca, Xisca, Xesca, Fani, Francina
- Chinese: 弗朗西斯, 方濟各, 法蘭西斯
- Corsican: Francescu, Franciscu
- Croatian: Franjo, Frano, Frane, Fran ; Franciska, Franka, Franca, Franjica
- Czech: František, Františka
- Dutch: Frans, Frank, Franciscus, Franciescus, Francieskus, Francis, Francies, Cies
- Esperanto: Francisko
- Estonian: Franciscus
- Filipino: Francisco, Francis, Franco, Kiko
- Finnish: Frans, Fransiscus,"Ransu".
- French: François, Francis, Francisque ; Françoise, France, Francine
- Galician: Francisco
- German: Franziskus, Franz, Franziska
- Greek: Fragiskos, Fragkiskos, Frangiskos, Frangkiskos, Frankiskos,, Frantzeskos, Frankiski, Frantzeska
- Gujarati: ફ્રાન્સિસ
- Hawaiian: Palakiko
- Hindi: फ्रांसिस
- Hungarian: Ferenc, Feri, Franciska
- Icelandic: Frans
- Indonesian: Fransiskus, Fransiska
- Irish: Proinsias, Proinnsias ,
- Italian: Francesco, Franco, Fran, Cino, Cisco, Cecco ; Franca, Francesca, Ciccia, Cina, Cesca, Cecca
- Japanese: フランシス , フランシスコ
- Kannada: ಫ್ರಾನ್ಸಿಸ್
- Konkani: Frask, Forso
- Korean: 프란시스, 프란체스코
- Latin: Franciscus
- Latvian: Francisks, Francis
- Lithuanian: Francas, Pranciškus
- Lombard: Francesch
- Luo : Fransisko, Pransis
- Macedonian: Френсис
- Malayalam: പൊറിഞ്ചു, പ്രാഞ്ചി Pranchi, Prenju, Frenju
- Maltese: Franġisk, Frans
- Manx: Frank
- Neapolitan: Francesco
- Norman: Françouais
- Norwegian: Frans, Franciskus
- Occitan: Francés
- Persian: فرانسیس
- Piedmontese: Fransesch
- Polish: Franciszek, , Franciszka,
- Portuguese: Francisco, Francisquinho, Chico, Chiquinho, Quico, Fran, Paco Francisca, Francisquinha, Chica, Chiquinha, Quica
- Romanian: Francisc, Frâncu
- Russian: Франческо for Italians, Франциск for popes, Франц for Germans, Франсуа for French.
- Samogitian: Prancėškos
- Sardinian: Franchiscu, Franciscu, Frantziscu ; Franchisca, Francisca, Frantzisca ; Tzitzeddu/Tzitzedda, Tzischeddu/Tzischedda, Ciccìttu/Ciccìtta
- Scottish Gaelic: Frangag, Frances, Francis
- Serbian: Френсис, Franja, Franc, Francisko,Slobodan
- Sicilian: Franciscu, Ciscu
- Slovak: František
- Slovene: Frančišek, Franček, France, Franci, Franc, Fran, Franko
- Spanish: Francisco, Paco, Paquito, Curro, Fran, Quico, Pancho, Cisco, Chisco, Francisca, Paca, Paqui or Paquita
- Swahili: Fransisko
- Swedish: Franciskus, Frans
- Tamil: பிரான்சிஸ்
- Telugu: ఫ్రాన్సిస్
- Thai: ฟรานซิส
- Turkish: Fransız, Fransuva
- Ukrainian: Франциск, Франциска
- Venetian: Francesco
- Vietnamese: Phanxicô
- Welsh: Fransis
- West Frisian: Fransiskus
- Yiddish: פראַנסיס
List of people with the given name Francis
- Francis Bacon, English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method.
- Francis Bacon, Artist.
- Francis Baines, English Jesuit.
- Francis Bernard, multiple people
- Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle, British stand-up comedian.
- Francis C. Heitmeier, American politician.
- Francis Ford Coppola, American film-director, producer, and screenwriter.
- Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer.
- Francis E. Donoghue, member of Illinois State House of Representatives.
- Francis Donald Logan, American historian
- Francis Drake, English sea captain.
- Francis Dugas, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
- Francis Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist and short story writer.
- Francis B. Foley, American metallurgist.
- Francis Fontaine , American poet and novelist.
- Francis Fukuyama, American political scientist.
- Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd, British comedian and actor.
- Francis Irving, British computer programmer and activist for freedom of information
- Francis Kobangoye, Gabonese basketball player
- Francis Scott Key, writer of the American national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner".
- Francis Kilcoyne, American President of Brooklyn College
- Francis J. McCaffrey, American lawyer and politician from The Bronx, New York.
- Francis J. McCaffrey, Jr., American lawyer and politician from Brooklyn, New York.
- Francis Marion, also known as the Swamp Fox, was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.
- Francis Maude, politician.
- Francis Davis Millet,, American artist and RMS Titanic sinking victim.
- Francis Molo, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player.
- Francis Owusu, American football player
- Francis Valentino American Musician.
- Francis Webb, multiple people.
- Francis Zamora, Filipino politician, businessman, and basketball player
Aristocracy
- Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, also Francis III, Duke of Lorraine
Canada
- Francis Bouillon, Hockey Player
France
- Francis I of France, King of France
- Francis II of France, King of France
- Francis I, Duke of Brittany
- Francis II, Duke of Brittany
- Francis III, Duke of Brittany
- Francis I, Duke of Lorraine
- Francis II, Duke of Lorraine
German-speaking countries
- Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, also Francis I, Emperor of Austria
- Franz, Duke of Bavaria, called "Francis II" by Jacobite supporters
Iberian monarchies
- Prince Francis Joseph of Braganza, Infante of Portugal, 2nd son of Miguel II, legitimist claimant to the throne of Portugal
- Francis of Spain, Duke of Cádiz, King Consort of Queen Isabella II
Italy
- Francis I of the Two Sicilies
- Francis II of the Two Sicilies
- Francis IV, Duke of Modena
- Francis V, Duke of Modena
Hungary
- Francis I Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania
- Francis II Rákóczi, Duke of Hungary and Prince Transylvania
Scandinavia
- Francis of Denmark, Prince of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
Religious figures
- Pope Francis, the current pope
- St. Francis of Assisi, Italian Catholic friar and saint
- Francis de Sales, French Catholic bishop and saint
- Francis Xavier, Basque Catholic Jesuit missionary and saint
- Francis George, OMI, cardinal and Archbishop of Chicago
Academics
- Francis Bohlen, American Algernon Sydney Biddle professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Francis Owen, Canadian philologist and military officer
Fictional characters
- Francis "Frank" Castle, fictional vigilante from Marvel Comics also known as the Punisher
- Francis the Talking Mule, featured in seven movies in the 1950s, voiced by Chill Wills
- Francis Underwood from the Netflix original series House of Cards
- Francis Urquhart, lead character of the British political thriller House of Cards
- Francis Abernathy, character in Donna Tartt's 1992 novel The Secret History.
- A ladybug named Francis appears in the 1998 Disney/Pixar film A Bug's Life.
- Francis, Malcolm's oldest brother in Malcolm in the Middle
- Francis Xavier Cross, "Frank", Scrooge-like protagonist in the Christmas comedy Scrooged
- Francis Freeman, a character from Deadpool
- Francis E. Francis, a character from The Boss Baby
- Frank Gallagher, from the UK TV show Shameless
- Francis, a nerdy chameleon and one of the bosses in the video game Super Paper Mario
- Francis Xavier Reagan, "Frank," the current NYPD police commissioner in the TV series Blue Bloods
- Frank Drebin, a character from Police Squad
- Francis “Franco” Begbie, a character in “Trainspotting ” a novel by Irvine Welsh