# France (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/france/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from French, famously held by—

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | French |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 11,937 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,005 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 25,865 people |
| Change since 2000 | 0.0% (11,936 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /fɹæns/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | Fraunce |

## Etymology

From Middle English France, from Old French France, from Latin Francia, from Francī, the name of a Germanic tribe, of unclear (but Proto-Germanic) origin. Believed to be most likely from Frankish *Frankō (“a Frank”), from Proto-Germanic *frankô (“javelin”). Compare Frank. Displaced native Old English Francland (see modern Frankland).

## Who carries it

Share of people named France in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 77% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 17% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named France in the United States and Austria.

## People named France

- Raoul Heinrich Francé, Austro-Hungarian scientist (1874-1943)
- Bill France, American racecar driver (1909–1992)
- Joseph I. France, American politician (1873-1939)
- David France, American journalist and filmmaker
- Tan France, British-American fashion designer and television personality

## Similar surnames

Franz, Franklin, Francis, Franco, Frank, French, Franks, Francisco, François, Frankel, Franke, Franzen.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.