The first name Frances
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “frankish”.
Pronounced /ˈfɹænsɪz/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Frances means “frankish” in Latin.
From Old French Franceise, feminine form of Franceis, from Late Latin Franciscus (“Frankish”). Doublet of Francesca and Francisca.
A form of Francis.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 112 girls were named Frances, making it the 379th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 274 births (#161).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Frances with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Frances at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 960 girls born in the United States were named Frances, the 318th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 16,132 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Frances in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Frances
142 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Frances McDormandAmerican actress, born 1957
- Frances Hodgson BurnettEnglish-American playwright and author (1849–1924)
- Frances MarionAmerican journalist, author, film director and screenwriter (1888-1973)
- Frances AllenAmerican computer scientist (1932–2020)
- Frances ClevelandFirst Lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897
- Frances ConroyAmerican actress, born 1953
- Frances FisherAmerican actress (born 1952)
- Frances FarmerAmerican actress (1913–1970)
- Frances Oldham KelseyCanadian-American physician and pharmacologist (1914–2015)
- Frances WillardAmerican temperance activist and suffragist (1839–1898)
- Frances TiafoeAmerican tennis player, born 1998
- Frances SternhagenAmerican actress (1930–2023)
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Frances mean?
- Frances means “frankish” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Frances?
- From Old French Franceise, feminine form of Franceis, from Late Latin Franciscus (“Frankish”). Doublet of Francesca and Francisca.
- How popular is the name Frances?
- In 2025, 112 girls born in England and Wales were named Frances, ranking 379th. Its peak was 1996, with 274 births.
- What are nicknames for Frances?
- Common nicknames for Frances include Fanny, Franz, Fay, Fannie.
- Is Frances a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 600,721 US babies named Frances since 1880 were girls.
- When was Frances most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 16,132 babies were named Frances, its highest rank at 8th.
- How do you pronounce Frances?
- Frances is /ˈfɹænsɪz/, 2 syllables.
- What name is Frances a form of?
- Frances is a form of Francis.
- What are other spellings of Frances?
- France and Francis.
- Is Frances also a surname?
- Yes. Frances is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.