Fun Facts About the Name Frances
- Decades of popularity: Frances stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 76 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1955.
- More than 600 thousand babies named Frances: U.S. records list 600,712 babies given the name Frances from 1880 through 2025. Even 5,023 boys received the name Frances - about 1 boy for every 119 girls.
What Does the Name Frances Mean?
Frances is the English feminine form of Francis, a name built on the Latin Franciscus, meaning "Frankish" or "French." That word comes from Francus, the Latin term for a Frank, one of the Germanic peoples whose name was later given to the region of France. In medieval Latin, francus also came to mean "free," which is why "free one" is the meaning often given for the name. That customary sense rests on the later meaning of the word; the literal sense is "Frank" or "Frenchman." The feminine form adds a feminine ending, appearing as Francisca in medieval Latin and Frances in English, alongside Francesca in Italian, Françoise in French, and Franziska in German.
Frances Name History & Origins
The name belongs to the group formed from Latin Franciscus. The masculine Francis spread through medieval Europe, and its most famous early bearer was Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/1182 - 1226), who was baptized Giovanni and was known as Francesco, meaning "the Frenchman." Feminine forms of the same root appeared across the continent: Francesca in Italy, Françoise in France, Francisca in Spain and Portugal, Franziska in German-speaking lands.
In England, Frances was in use as a woman's name by the early 1500s; Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk (1517 - 1559), is one recorded bearer. English spelling was not fixed for a long time, and Francis and Frances were both written for men and women; the -es ending gradually became the usual feminine form. Other well-known bearers include Saint Frances of Rome (1384 - 1440), an Italian noblewoman who founded a community of oblates, and Frances Cabrini (1850 - 1917), the Italian-born missionary who worked in the United States.
How Popular is the Name Frances?
Frances recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1918. Its best rank was #8 in 1918.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #318 | 960 | 0.0597% |
| 2024 | #379 | 821 | 0.0509% |
| 2023 | #405 | 760 | 0.0474% |
| 2022 | #419 | 755 | 0.0461% |
| 2021 | #392 | 801 | 0.0489% |
| 2020 | #418 | 744 | 0.0461% |
| 2019 | #438 | 718 | 0.0428% |
| 2018 | #442 | 723 | 0.0425% |
| 2017 | #437 | 730 | 0.0423% |
| 2016 | #447 | 721 | 0.0407% |
| 2015 | #513 | 613 | 0.0343% |
| 2014 | #603 | 484 | 0.0271% |
| 2013 | #690 | 409 | 0.0233% |
| 2012 | #763 | 364 | 0.0207% |
| 2011 | #782 | 348 | 0.0198% |
| 2010 | #769 | 356 | 0.0200% |
| 2009 | #797 | 355 | 0.0193% |
| 2008 | #794 | 368 | 0.0195% |
| 2007 | #828 | 347 | 0.0180% |
| 2006 | #763 | 360 | 0.0189% |
| 2005 | #753 | 355 | 0.0192% |
| 2004 | #641 | 427 | 0.0233% |
| 2003 | #607 | 449 | 0.0246% |
| 2002 | #616 | 415 | 0.0231% |
| 2001 | #590 | 429 | 0.0238% |
| 2000 | #572 | 454 | 0.0250% |
| 1999 | #521 | 488 | 0.0275% |
| 1998 | #472 | 547 | 0.0310% |
| 1997 | #474 | 531 | 0.0305% |
| 1996 | #460 | 544 | 0.0310% |
| 1995 | #450 | 571 | 0.0325% |
| 1994 | #412 | 608 | 0.0340% |
| 1993 | #394 | 641 | 0.0354% |
| 1992 | #387 | 668 | 0.0362% |
| 1991 | #361 | 711 | 0.0379% |
| 1990 | #351 | 759 | 0.0400% |
| 1989 | #324 | 781 | 0.0424% |
| 1988 | #307 | 807 | 0.0453% |
| 1987 | #303 | 805 | 0.0463% |
| 1986 | #313 | 765 | 0.0446% |
| 1985 | #295 | 834 | 0.0485% |
| 1984 | #282 | 855 | 0.0508% |
| 1983 | #270 | 875 | 0.0524% |
| 1982 | #271 | 904 | 0.0534% |
| 1981 | #271 | 925 | 0.0555% |
| 1980 | #267 | 938 | 0.0565% |
| 1979 | #267 | 913 | 0.0569% |
| 1978 | #256 | 924 | 0.0603% |
| 1977 | #266 | 940 | 0.0613% |
| 1976 | #247 | 948 | 0.0647% |
| 1975 | #234 | 1,030 | 0.0706% |
| 1974 | #238 | 1,068 | 0.0728% |
| 1973 | #217 | 1,156 | 0.0793% |
| 1972 | #216 | 1,280 | 0.0841% |
| 1971 | #206 | 1,453 | 0.0873% |
| 1970 | #199 | 1,628 | 0.0931% |
| 1969 | #195 | 1,640 | 0.0972% |
| 1968 | #185 | 1,745 | 0.1064% |
| 1967 | #171 | 1,868 | 0.1131% |
| 1966 | #162 | 2,126 | 0.1256% |
| 1965 | #163 | 2,262 | 0.1281% |
| 1964 | #152 | 2,599 | 0.1372% |
| 1963 | #146 | 2,745 | 0.1424% |
| 1962 | #143 | 3,003 | 0.1527% |
| 1961 | #135 | 3,420 | 0.1694% |
| 1960 | #127 | 3,592 | 0.1777% |
| 1959 | #124 | 3,717 | 0.1837% |
| 1958 | #118 | 3,847 | 0.1912% |
| 1957 | #113 | 4,094 | 0.2002% |
| 1956 | #107 | 4,325 | 0.2154% |
| 1955 | #96 | 4,641 | 0.2374% |
| 1954 | #83 | 5,153 | 0.2654% |
| 1953 | #72 | 5,786 | 0.3076% |
| 1952 | #67 | 6,079 | 0.3278% |
| 1951 | #59 | 6,584 | 0.3656% |
| 1950 | #51 | 6,974 | 0.4071% |
| 1949 | #49 | 7,440 | 0.4349% |
| 1948 | #42 | 8,179 | 0.4817% |
| 1947 | #39 | 8,943 | 0.5045% |
| 1946 | #39 | 8,450 | 0.5378% |
| 1945 | #34 | 7,940 | 0.6075% |
| 1944 | #33 | 8,487 | 0.6395% |
| 1943 | #31 | 9,448 | 0.6771% |
| 1942 | #30 | 9,471 | 0.7012% |
| 1941 | #31 | 8,468 | 0.7009% |
| 1940 | #28 | 8,621 | 0.7539% |
| 1939 | #26 | 8,577 | 0.7821% |
| 1938 | #23 | 8,922 | 0.8086% |
| 1937 | #19 | 9,057 | 0.8512% |
| 1936 | #19 | 8,789 | 0.8448% |
| 1935 | #19 | 8,770 | 0.8364% |
| 1934 | #19 | 9,207 | 0.8817% |
| 1933 | #18 | 8,882 | 0.8812% |
| 1932 | #19 | 9,552 | 0.8951% |
| 1931 | #18 | 9,718 | 0.9127% |
| 1930 | #16 | 10,644 | 0.9454% |
| 1929 | #16 | 11,092 | 0.9934% |
| 1928 | #13 | 12,137 | 1.0524% |
| 1927 | #12 | 12,988 | 1.0892% |
| 1926 | #10 | 13,355 | 1.1266% |
| 1925 | #11 | 13,825 | 1.1356% |
| 1924 | #10 | 15,183 | 1.2157% |
| 1923 | #10 | 14,881 | 1.2335% |
| 1922 | #10 | 15,054 | 1.2535% |
| 1921 | #9 | 15,993 | 1.2970% |
| 1920 | #9 | 15,883 | 1.3255% |
| 1919 | #9 | 15,107 | 1.3368% |
| 1918 | #8 | 16,131 | 1.3934% |
| 1917 | #9 | 14,363 | 1.3283% |
| 1916 | #9 | 13,746 | 1.3162% |
| 1915 | #9 | 12,786 | 1.2996% |
| 1914 | #9 | 9,677 | 1.2706% |
| 1913 | #9 | 7,694 | 1.2319% |
| 1912 | #9 | 6,680 | 1.1969% |
| 1911 | #10 | 4,967 | 1.1874% |
| 1910 | #11 | 4,448 | 1.1218% |
| 1909 | #12 | 3,780 | 1.0886% |
| 1908 | #14 | 3,593 | 1.0747% |
| 1907 | #16 | 3,299 | 1.0356% |
| 1906 | #14 | 3,026 | 1.0247% |
| 1905 | #16 | 2,887 | 0.9900% |
| 1904 | #16 | 2,657 | 0.9649% |
| 1903 | #19 | 2,365 | 0.9028% |
| 1902 | #23 | 2,326 | 0.8808% |
| 1901 | #25 | 2,071 | 0.8653% |
| 1900 | #26 | 2,495 | 0.8323% |
| 1899 | #24 | 2,058 | 0.8832% |
| 1898 | #22 | 2,379 | 0.9193% |
| 1897 | #27 | 1,975 | 0.8433% |
| 1896 | #28 | 1,964 | 0.8255% |
| 1895 | #29 | 1,833 | 0.7846% |
| 1894 | #29 | 1,776 | 0.7967% |
| 1893 | #34 | 1,622 | 0.7618% |
| 1892 | #31 | 1,670 | 0.7865% |
| 1891 | #34 | 1,397 | 0.7532% |
| 1890 | #33 | 1,416 | 0.7438% |
| 1889 | #34 | 1,351 | 0.7574% |
| 1888 | #30 | 1,452 | 0.8129% |
| 1887 | #34 | 1,105 | 0.7569% |
| 1886 | #38 | 1,059 | 0.7327% |
| 1885 | #46 | 844 | 0.6343% |
| 1884 | #46 | 789 | 0.6115% |
| 1883 | #45 | 710 | 0.6321% |
| 1882 | #45 | 681 | 0.6315% |
| 1881 | #45 | 586 | 0.6373% |
| 1880 | #42 | 605 | 0.6649% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,112 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #9,247 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #8,382 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #7,699 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #12,768 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #12,895 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,839 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #11,130 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #11,181 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #12,876 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #12,891 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #10,220 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #12,968 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #11,085 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #8,387 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #8,968 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #7,889 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #9,667 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,484 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,074 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #5,978 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #9,749 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #5,674 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #5,635 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #7,221 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #4,811 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #3,505 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1991 | #3,035 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #4,491 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #3,363 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #3,119 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #3,595 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #2,717 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #3,121 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1984 | #2,389 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1983 | #2,519 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1982 | #2,539 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #3,091 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #3,481 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #3,057 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #2,309 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #2,488 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1976 | #2,638 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #2,801 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1974 | #2,218 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1973 | #2,438 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #2,577 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1971 | #1,800 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1970 | #2,155 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1969 | #1,658 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1968 | #1,521 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1967 | #1,929 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1966 | #1,775 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1965 | #1,605 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1964 | #1,295 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1963 | #1,327 | 35 | 0.0017% |
| 1962 | #1,560 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1961 | #1,556 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 1960 | #1,445 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 1959 | #1,310 | 36 | 0.0017% |
| 1958 | #1,287 | 36 | 0.0017% |
| 1957 | #1,256 | 39 | 0.0018% |
| 1956 | #1,179 | 42 | 0.0020% |
| 1955 | #1,017 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 1954 | #1,341 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1953 | #1,198 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1952 | #1,084 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 1951 | #1,100 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1950 | #1,209 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1949 | #1,036 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1948 | #1,267 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1947 | #926 | 57 | 0.0031% |
| 1946 | #1,268 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1945 | #1,045 | 38 | 0.0028% |
| 1944 | #791 | 63 | 0.0046% |
| 1943 | #888 | 57 | 0.0040% |
| 1942 | #855 | 59 | 0.0043% |
| 1941 | #800 | 62 | 0.0050% |
| 1940 | #805 | 60 | 0.0052% |
| 1939 | #749 | 65 | 0.0059% |
| 1938 | #745 | 68 | 0.0061% |
| 1937 | #641 | 85 | 0.0080% |
| 1936 | #759 | 64 | 0.0062% |
| 1935 | #608 | 92 | 0.0088% |
| 1934 | #562 | 111 | 0.0107% |
| 1933 | #633 | 84 | 0.0085% |
| 1932 | #561 | 111 | 0.0106% |
| 1931 | #537 | 118 | 0.0113% |
| 1930 | #530 | 127 | 0.0116% |
| 1929 | #628 | 95 | 0.0088% |
| 1928 | #512 | 140 | 0.0126% |
| 1927 | #551 | 125 | 0.0111% |
| 1926 | #584 | 114 | 0.0103% |
| 1925 | #588 | 114 | 0.0102% |
| 1924 | #622 | 105 | 0.0093% |
| 1923 | #622 | 105 | 0.0096% |
| 1922 | #660 | 95 | 0.0087% |
| 1921 | #617 | 106 | 0.0096% |
| 1920 | #605 | 108 | 0.0101% |
| 1919 | #601 | 101 | 0.0103% |
| 1918 | #626 | 97 | 0.0096% |
| 1917 | #734 | 72 | 0.0078% |
| 1916 | #552 | 107 | 0.0120% |
| 1915 | #601 | 91 | 0.0107% |
| 1914 | #569 | 77 | 0.0118% |
| 1913 | #567 | 59 | 0.0115% |
| 1912 | #602 | 46 | 0.0107% |
| 1911 | #490 | 36 | 0.0159% |
| 1910 | #448 | 38 | 0.0196% |
| 1909 | #599 | 20 | 0.0122% |
| 1908 | #559 | 21 | 0.0136% |
| 1907 | #391 | 33 | 0.0225% |
| 1906 | #479 | 22 | 0.0165% |
| 1905 | #469 | 23 | 0.0174% |
| 1904 | #445 | 23 | 0.0180% |
| 1903 | #531 | 17 | 0.0143% |
| 1902 | #493 | 19 | 0.0155% |
| 1901 | #376 | 25 | 0.0235% |
| 1900 | #563 | 19 | 0.0126% |
| 1899 | #592 | 12 | 0.0113% |
| 1898 | #440 | 21 | 0.0171% |
| 1897 | #461 | 18 | 0.0160% |
| 1896 | #470 | 19 | 0.0159% |
| 1895 | #513 | 16 | 0.0136% |
| 1894 | #487 | 17 | 0.0147% |
| 1893 | #408 | 20 | 0.0178% |
| 1892 | #705 | 10 | 0.0082% |
| 1891 | #615 | 10 | 0.0099% |
| 1890 | #578 | 12 | 0.0108% |
| 1889 | #488 | 15 | 0.0136% |
| 1888 | #513 | 15 | 0.0124% |
| 1887 | #526 | 12 | 0.0118% |
| 1886 | #557 | 12 | 0.0108% |
| 1885 | #559 | 12 | 0.0111% |
| 1884 | #475 | 16 | 0.0140% |
| 1883 | #437 | 17 | 0.0162% |
| 1882 | #556 | 12 | 0.0106% |
| 1881 | #514 | 12 | 0.0119% |
| 1880 | #449 | 16 | 0.0145% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Frances
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Frances Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Frances's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Frances's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.