# Francis (surname)

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

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 78,327 |
| US rank (2010) | 413 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 3,942 people |
| Change since 2000 | +9.2% (71,723 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɹænsɪs/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Franciscus (“Frankish (man); a Frank”), from Francia (“Frankland”)). Doublet of Francisco and Franz.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Francis 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) | 59% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 30% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.8% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Francis in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Antigua and Barbuda and Brazil.

## People named Francis

- Anne Francis, American actress (1930–2011)
- Kay Francis, American actress (1905–1968)
- Leigh Francis, British actor and host
- Steve Francis, American basketball player
- Arlene Francis, American actress and television host (1907–2001)
- Phyllis Francis, American sprinter
- Sam Francis, artist (1923–1994)
- James Bicheno Francis, American engineer (1815-1892)
- Dillon Francis, American DJ and record producer
- Robert Francis, American actor (1930-1955)
- Alec B. Francis, British actor (1867-1934)
- Genie Francis, American actress

and 19 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Frances, Franzese, Franklin, Franco, Frank, Franks, Francisco, François, France, Franz, Frankel, Franke.

## 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.