How common is the surname Francis?

78,327 people in the United States had the surname Francis in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,942 Americans. It ranked 413th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Francis?

Anne Francis, American actress (1930–2011), followed by Kay Francis.

Where is the surname Francis most common?

Wikidata records people named Francis in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 2 other countries.

How do you pronounce Francis?

Francis is /ˈfɹænsɪs/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Francis getting more or less common?

More common. 71,723 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 78,327 in 2010, up 9.2%.

Is Francis also a first name?

Yes. Francis is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Francis

A patronymic surname, carried by 78,327 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈfɹænsɪs/ 2 syllables Soundex F652 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Francis is more common than 99.7% of them.

Origin

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

Francis is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 78,327 people named Francis in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 3,942 Americans. That is up 9.2% since 2000, when the Census counted 71,723.

#413

rank among US surnames

78,327

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+9.2%

change since 2000 (was #406)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#404	Chandler	79,186	3,899
#405	Sharp	78,990	3,909
#406	Barber	78,848	3,916
#407	Bowen	78,822	3,917
#408	Ochoa	78,677	3,924
#409	Dennis	78,482	3,934
#410	Robbins	78,381	3,939

Who is named Francis

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

59% of people named Francis identified as white (not Hispanic), 30% as Black (not Hispanic) and 3.8% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 59%
Black (not Hispanic) 30%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.8%
Two or more races 2.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native 2.1%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.0%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Franciss

31 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Anne Francis
American actress (1930–2011)
Kay Francis
American actress (1905–1968)
Leigh Francis
British actor and host, born 1973
Steve Francis
American basketball player, born 1977
Arlene Francis
American actress and television host (1907–2001)
Phyllis Francis
American sprinter, born 1992
Sam Francis
Artist (1923–1994)
James Bicheno Francis
American engineer (1815-1892)
Dillon Francis
American DJ and record producer, born 1987
Robert Francis
American actor (1930-1955)
Alec B. Francis
British actor (1867-1934)
Genie Francis
American actress, born 1962

Notable Franciss come mostly from the United States (23), the United Kingdom (4) and Australia (2).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Francis

Francis has the Soundex code F652, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code F652.

Questions

Where does the surname Francis come from?: Borrowed from Medieval Latin Franciscus (“Frankish (man); a Frank”), from Francia (“Frankland”)). Doublet of Francisco and Franz.
How common is the surname Francis?: 78,327 people in the United States had the surname Francis in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,942 Americans. It ranked 413th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Francis?: In the 2010 Census, 59% of people named Francis identified as white (not Hispanic), and 30% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Francis?: Anne Francis, American actress (1930–2011), followed by Kay Francis.
Where is the surname Francis most common?: Wikidata records people named Francis in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 2 other countries.
How do you pronounce Francis?: Francis is /ˈfɹænsɪs/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Francis?: Francis is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Francis getting more or less common?: More common. 71,723 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 78,327 in 2010, up 9.2%.
Is Francis also a first name?: Yes. Francis is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.