Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Franco

    A boy’s name from Italian.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Italian origin

    A male given name from Italian or Spanish, equivalent to English Frank or Francis.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 44 boys were named Franco, making it the 763rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 45 births (#757).

    02550 1996200020052010201520202025
    632
    babies named Franco, 1996–2025
    #763
    rank in 2025
    2024
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Franco with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Franco at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 348 boys born in the United States were named Franco, the 747th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 353 were.

    0200400 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    9,107
    babies named Franco since 1880
    #747
    rank in 2025
    2016
    peak year

    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.

    Famous people named Franco

    46 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Franco Armani
      Argentine soccer player, born 1986
    • Franco Mastantuono
      Argentine association football player (born 2007)
    • Franco Colapinto
      Argentine Formula One driver, born 2003
    • Franco Di Santo
      Argentinian association football player, born 1989
    • Franco Vázquez
      Argentine association football player, born 1989
    • Franco Cervi
      Argentine footballer, born 1994
    • Franco Foda
      German association football player and manager, born 1966
    • Franco Rossi
      Film director and screenwriter (1919–2000)
    • Franco Zuculini
      Argentine footballer, born 1990
    • Franco Jara
      Argentine footballer, born 1988
    • Franco Costanzo
      Argentine footballer, born 1980
    • Franco Squillari
      Argentine tennis player, born 1975

    More Italian boys’ names

    All 80 names of Italian origin

    Questions

    What is the origin of the name Franco?
    Franco comes from Italian.
    How popular is the name Franco?
    In 2025, 44 boys born in England and Wales were named Franco, ranking 763rd. Its peak was 2024, with 45 births.
    Is Franco a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 9,107 US babies named Franco since 1880 were boys.
    When was Franco most popular?
    2016 in the United States, when 353 babies were named Franco, its highest rank at 702nd.
    Is Franco also a surname?
    Yes. Franco is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.