Given name & surname
Franz
“a man from France; one who is free”·“frenchman”·“woman from France; one who is free”
Franz is a variant of Francis. One Latin interpretation is “a man from France; one who is free.” Franz is a form of Francesco. One interpretation is “frenchman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Franz is a variant of Francis. One Latin interpretation is “a man from France; one who is free.” Franz is a form of Francesco. One interpretation is “frenchman.” In English use, Franz is a diminutive of Frances. In Latin use, Frances carries the interpretation “woman from France; one who is free.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Franz is a variant of Francis. An origin associated with Francis is Italian.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In German use, Franz is used as a form of Francesco.
The story
The name’s historical associations include the Emperor Franz Josef and his great-nephew the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The name has historical associations with the Habsburg dynasty.
Franz through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,864
- 2,864 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1963
- 60 babies
- 2025
- 17
- #5,459 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +6%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 17 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,459 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 6.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 60 in 1963. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,863 as a first name in 2020; 11,053 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.
Franz’s family of names
In English usage, Franz is a diminutive of Frances. In German usage, Franz shares a linguistic root with the English form Francis. In German usage, Franz has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Francisco.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Franz has relatives in 21 languages.
48 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 34
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Francesfull form · English
- Francisvariant · English
- Frantzvariant · French, German
- Franziskafull form · gmw-ecg
- Franciscusfull form · German, Latin
- Ferencvariant · German, Hungarian
- Frenzlevariant · German
- Fränzlevariant · German
Show 26 moreShow fewer
- Franziskusfull form · German
- Vrantzvariant · German
- Frenzlvariant · German
- Frenzvariant · German
- Frentzevariant · German
- Frentschvariant · German
- Fränznervariant · German
- Franzmannvariant · German
- Franzlvariant · German, bar
- Fränzkevariant · German
- Franzkevariant · German
- Franziusvariant · German
- Franzenvariant · German
- Franzeliusvariant · German
- Franzelinvariant · German
- Franzevariant · German
- Fräntzlvariant · German
- Frantzkevariant · German
- Frantziusvariant · German
- Frantzervariant · German
- Fräntzenvariant · German
- Fräntzelvariant · German
- Franssonvariant · German
- Franssenvariant · German
- Frandsenvariant · German
- Brantzvariant · German
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 25
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- FranciscoSpanish
- Franklinequivalent
- Frankequivalent
- Francoequivalent
- Francescocognate · Italian
- Franequivalent
- FranciszekPolish
- Frankoequivalent
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Fransborrowing · Dutch, Swedish
- FrancescCatalan
- Franckequivalent
- Franciscequivalent
- PacoSpanish
- ФрансRussian
- Rantsicognate · Finnish
- Францborrowing · Ukrainian
- ΦραγκίσκοςGreek
- FrançoisFrench
- Franțborrowing · Romanian
- Františekalso known as · Czech
- Fränkequivalent
- Fragiskosequivalent
- Frañsezequivalent
- Frantsequivalent
- Fañchequivalent
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Franz
- Franz KafkaBohemian writer from Prague (1883–1924)
- Franz SchubertAustrian composer (1797–1828)
- Joseph HaydnAustrian composer (1732–1809)
- Franz LisztHungarian romantic composer and virtuoso pianist (1811-1886)
- Franz BeckenbauerGerman sports official and association football player (1945–2024)
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austriaheir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary (1863–1914)
- Franz Joseph IEmperor of Austria and King of Hungary (1830-1916)
- Franz von PapenGerman general staff officer, politician, diplomat, nobleman and Chancellor of Germany (1879–1969)
- Franz MarcGerman artist (1880–1916)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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