Given name & surname
Francisco
“a man from France; one who is free”·“frenchman”
Francisco is a variant of Francis. One Latin interpretation is “a man from France; one who is free.” Francisco shares an earlier linguistic root with Francesco. One interpretation is “frenchman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Francisco is a variant of Francis. One Latin interpretation is “a man from France; one who is free.” Francisco shares an earlier linguistic root with Francesco. One interpretation is “frenchman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Francisco is a variant of Francis. An origin associated with Francis is Italian.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Francisco developed from Franciscus. In Spanish usage, Francisco is a diminutive of FRANCUS.
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
Francisco through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 143,146
- 142,192 boys · 954 girls
- Most popular year
- 1993
- 2,995 babies
- 2025
- 1,069
- #322 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,069 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 322 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,967 in 1993. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (248). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 246,232 as a first name in 2020; 24,614 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.
Francisco’s family of names
In English usage, Francisco has a diminutive in Frankie. In English usage, Francisco shares an earlier linguistic root with Francis. In Portuguese usage, Francisco has a conventional equivalent in the German form Frank.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Francisco has relatives in 33 languages.
61 related names in 33 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 36
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Francisvariant · English
- Frankiediminutive · English
- Ikediminutive · ceb
- Kikodiminutive · Tagalog, Spanish
- Fransiscovariant · English
- Frandiminutive · Spanish
- Pacopet form · Spanish, English
- Panchodiminutive · Spanish
Show 28 moreShow fewer
- Chicodiminutive · Portuguese, English
- Francisscolikely variant
- Francisccolikely variant
- Francciscolikely variant
- Paransiskovariant · Tagalog
- Pachíndiminutive · Asturian
- Xiscodiminutive · Spanish
- Kokoydiminutive · Tagalog
- Fucodiminutive · Galician
- Francisquitodiminutive · Spanish
- Juanfrandiminutive · Spanish
- Kikoydiminutive · Tagalog
- Pachodiminutive · Spanish, Asturian
- Xicodiminutive · Asturian
- Currodiminutive · Spanish
- Farrucodiminutive · Galician
- Kikingdiminutive · ceb
- Quicodiminutive · Spanish
- Ikodiminutive · ceb
- Paquitodiminutive · Spanish
- Iskodiminutive · Tagalog, ceb
- Pachudiminutive · Asturian
- Frasquitopet form
- Frascuelopet form
- Curritodiminutive · Spanish
- Francusfull form · Spanish
- Paransiscovariant · Tagalog
- Franciscuvariant · Asturian, Corsican
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 47
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Franklinequivalent
- FrankGerman
- Francoequivalent
- Francescocognate · Italian
- Franciscafeminine form
- FranzGerman
- Frantzequivalent
- Ciscorelated form
Show 39 moreShow fewer
- Frankoequivalent
- FranciszekPolish
- Franckequivalent
- Ferencequivalent
- Franciscequivalent
- FransDutch
- Franciscusroot · Latin
- FrancescCatalan
- Fragiskosequivalent
- Frañsezequivalent
- Franchoequivalent
- Fañchequivalent
- Panchitoequivalent
- ФранцискоRussian, Ukrainian
- Pasikuborrowing · tpw
- പൊറിഞ്ചുborrowing · Malayalam
- 方濟各borrowing · Chinese
- പ്രാഞ്ചിborrowing · Malayalam
- Phanchicôderivative · Vietnamese
- ΦραγκίσκοςGreek
- FrançoisFrench
- Phanxicôderivative · Vietnamese
- Palakikoborrowing · Hawaiian
- FranziskusGerman
- FrantišekCzech
- Francésequivalent
- Fränkequivalent
- Patxiequivalent
- Spanishequivalent
- FransiskasLithuanian
- FransiskoLatvian, Esperanto
- フランシスコJapanese
- FransiskóIcelandic
- ΦρανσίσκοGreek
- 프란시스코Korean
- 天卫二十二Chinese
- ProinsiasIrish
- FranxiscoGalician
- FrantziskoBasque
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Francisco
- Francisco GoyaSpanish painter and printmaker (1746–1828)
- Francisco PizarroSpanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire1478–1541
- Francis XavierSpanish Catholic saint and missionary (1506–1552)
- Francisco de QuevedoSpanish writer (1580-1645)1584–1645
- Francisco de ZurbaránSpanish painter (1598–1664)
- Paco de LucíaSpanish flamenco, classical, jazz guitarist & musician (1947-2014)
- IscoSpanish association football playerborn 1992
- Francisco I. MaderoMexican revolutionary leader and president (1873-1913)
- Guillermo OchoaMexican association football player (born 1985)
Characters named Francisco: Francisco Scaramanga (the James Bond novel and film versions of The Man with the Golden Gun).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Francisco, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alfredo
“one who counsels the elves”
>99% boys
Armando
“of the army; a soldier”
>99% boys
Alberto
“one who is noble and bright”
>99% boys
Alex
“helper and defender of mankind”
94% boys · 6% girls
Alfonso
“prepared for battle; eager and ready”
>99% boys
Antonio
“a flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family”
>99% boys
Sergio
“an attendant; a servant”
>99% boys
Roberto
“one who is bright with fame”
>99% boys