Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Franz

    A boy’s name from Latin.

    1 syllable Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Latin origin

    From German Franz. Doublet of Francis.

    Franz is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 3 boys were named Franz, making it the 5,137th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2005, with 13 births (#1,456).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    59
    babies named Franz, 1996–2025
    #5,137
    rank in 2025
    2005
    peak year

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

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Franz at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 17 boys born in the United States were named Franz, the 5,459th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1963, when 60 were.

    03060 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    2,864
    babies named Franz since 1880
    #5,459
    rank in 2025
    1963
    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 Franz

    481 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Franz Kafka
      Bohemian writer from Prague (1883–1924)
    • Franz Schubert
      Austrian composer (1797–1828)
    • Franz Joseph I of Austria
      Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (1830–1916)
    • Franz von Papen
      German general staff officer, politician, diplomat, nobleman and Chancellor of Germany (18, 1879–1969
    • Franz Marc
      German artist (1880–1916)
    • Franz Boas
      German-American anthropologist, 1858–1942
    • Franz Werfel
      Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright and poet (1890-1945)
    • Franz Bopp
      German linguist (1791-1861)
    • Franz Halder
      German general (1884–1972)
    • Johann Franz Encke
      German astronomer (1791–1865)
    • Franz Vranitzky
      Austrian chancellor, born 1937
    • Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf
      Field Marshal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1852–1925)

    More Latin boys’ names

    All 381 names of Latin origin

    Questions

    What does the name Franz mean?
    From German Franz. Doublet of Francis.
    What is the origin of the name Franz?
    From German Franz. Doublet of Francis.
    How popular is the name Franz?
    In 2025, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Franz, ranking 5,137th. Its peak was 2005, with 13 births.
    Is Franz a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 2,864 US babies named Franz since 1880 were boys.
    When was Franz most popular?
    1963 in the United States, when 60 babies were named Franz, its highest rank at 973rd.
    Is Franz also a surname?
    Yes. Franz is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.