Given name & surname
Frances
“woman from France; one who is free”·“a man from France; one who is free”
In English use, Frances has a related form in Francis. One Latin interpretation is “a man from France; one who is free.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Latin use, Frances carries the interpretation “woman from France; one who is free.” In English use, Frances has a related form in Francis. One Latin interpretation is “a man from France; one who is free.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
In English use, Frances is used as a feminine counterpart of Francis.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Frances through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 600,721
- 5,024 boys · 595,697 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 16,229 babies
- 2025
- 966
- #318 for girls · #11,112 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 960 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 318 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 12.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 16,132 in 1918. It also appeared in 6 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (75). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 201,693 as a first name in 2020; 2,086 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Frances’s family of names
In English usage, Frances has a diminutive in Frankie. Frances is a feminine form of Francis. In English usage, Frances has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Francisca.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Frances has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
22 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 59
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Francescavariant · English
- Francisvariant · English
- Frankiediminutive · English
- Francinevariant
- Franciscavariant · Spanish, English
- Fanniediminutive · English
- Faypet form · English
- Franchescavariant
Show 51 moreShow fewer
- Frankivariant
- Fannydiminutive · English
- Franzdiminutive · English
- Franciavariant
- Francheskavariant
- Franniediminutive · English
- Franciediminutive · English
- Franceskavariant
- Frandiminutive · English
- Francesslikely variant
- Frannydiminutive · English
- Francevariant · English
- Frenchievariant
- Frenchvariant
- Fanyavariant
- Faniavariant
- Fanivariant
- Franziskavariant · German
- Francoisevariant
- Francavariant
- Franciszkavariant
- Franciskavariant
- Francivariant
- Fanchonvariant
- Francenavariant
- Francillevariant
- Francinavariant
- Francenevariant
- Frannceslikely variant
- Francetondiminutive · Occitan
- Francilhondiminutive · Occitan
- Francicondiminutive · Occitan
- Fançondiminutive · Occitan
- Francinetdiminutive · Occitan
- Frencheavariant
- Frencheevariant
- Frencheyvariant
- Frenchyvariant
- Frenchivariant
- Ferikevariant
- Ferikavariant
- Ferengvariant
- Fannivariant
- Fanniavariant
- Fanchonevariant
- Franzevariant
- Frantiskavariant
- Frannivariant
- Frangagvariant
- Franciquevariant
- Fanceenvariant
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 9
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Francesaequivalent
- Fransiscaequivalent
- फ्रांचिस्काequivalent
- Францискаequivalent
- Pranciškaequivalent
- Xicuequivalent
- ФрэнсисRussian
- FrançoiseFrench
Show 1 moreShow fewer
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Frances
- Judy GarlandAmerican actress, singer, dancer and vaudevillian (1922–1969)
- Frances McDormandAmerican actressborn 1957
- Frances ArnoldNobel prize winning US scientist and engineer (born 1956)
- Frances Hodgson BurnettEnglish-American playwright and author (1849–1924)
- Frances MarionAmerican journalist, author, film director and screenwriter (1888-1973)
- Frances AllenAmerican computer scientist (1932–2020)
- Frances ClevelandFirst Lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and 1893 to 18971864–1947
- Frances BurneyEnglish satirical novelist, diarist, playwright (1752-1840)
- Frances ConroyAmerican actressborn 1953
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Frances, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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1% boys · 99% girls
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>99% girls
Mabel
“one who is lovable”
>99% girls
Lottie
“a small, strong woman” · “free man”
>99% girls