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    The first name Franklin

    A boy’s name from English meaning “freeholder”.

    Pronounced /ˈfɹæŋklɪn/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    English origin

    Franklin means “freeholder” in English.

    From Middle English frankelein (“freeholder”), see franklin. The place names are mostly named after American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 158 boys were named Franklin, making it the 287th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 184 births (#260).

    0100200 1996200020052010201520202025
    2,599
    babies named Franklin, 1996–2025
    #287
    rank in 2025
    2021
    peak year

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

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Franklin at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 909 boys born in the United States were named Franklin, the 359th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1933, when 5,363 were.

    03,0006,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    142,506
    babies named Franklin since 1880
    #359
    rank in 2025
    1933
    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.

    Franklin in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    Фра́нклин
    Fránklin
    Bulgarian
    富蘭克林 /富兰克林
    Fùlánkèlín
    Chinese
    Φραγκλίνος
    Fragklínos
    Greek
    Фра́нклин
    Fránklin
    Russian

    Famous people named Franklin

    87 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Franklin J. Schaffner
      American film director (1920–1989)
    • Joseph Franklin Rutherford
      American lawyer, Watch Tower Society president (1869–1942)
    • Franklin Chang-Díaz
      Costa Rican-American astronaut and physicist, born 1950
    • Franklin Graham
      American Christian evangelist and missionary, son of Billy Graham, born 1952
    • Franklin Henry Giddings
      American economist (1855–1931)
    • Franklin Cover
      American actor (1928-2006)
    • Franklin Pierce Adams
      American newspaper columnist (1881-1960)
    • Franklin Pangborn
      American actor (1889–1958)
    • Franklin Sumner Earle
      American mycologist (1856-1929)
    • Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.
      American politician (1914–1988)
    • Franklin Carmichael
      Canadian artist (1890-1945)
    • Franklin Clarence Mars
      American businessman (1883–1934)

    More English boys’ names

    All 216 names of English origin

    Questions

    What does the name Franklin mean?
    Franklin means “freeholder” in English.
    What is the origin of the name Franklin?
    From Middle English frankelein (“freeholder”), see franklin. The place names are mostly named after American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790).
    How popular is the name Franklin?
    In 2025, 158 boys born in England and Wales were named Franklin, ranking 287th. Its peak was 2021, with 184 births.
    Is Franklin a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 142,506 US babies named Franklin since 1880 were boys.
    When was Franklin most popular?
    1933 in the United States, when 5,363 babies were named Franklin, its highest rank at 33rd.
    How do you pronounce Franklin?
    Franklin is /ˈfɹæŋklɪn/, 2 syllables.
    Is Franklin also a surname?
    Yes. Franklin is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.