Frances
From Old French Franceise, feminine form of Franceis, from Late Latin Franciscus (“Frankish”).
Every Frances since 1880 — 600,721 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Frances
Frances is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #318 in 2025 with 960 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 600,721 American babies have been named Frances. Its peak came in 1918, when 16,229 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Frances stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Frances year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 960 | #318 | 6 | #11,112 |
| 2024 | 829 | #375 | 9 | #8,547 |
| 2023 | 760 | #405 | — | — |
| 2022 | 755 | #419 | — | — |
| 2021 | 801 | #393 | 9 | #8,388 |
| 2020 | 744 | #418 | 10 | #7,700 |
| 2019 | 718 | #438 | 5 | #12,775 |
| 2018 | 723 | #442 | — | — |
| 2017 | 730 | #437 | 5 | #12,900 |
| 2016 | 721 | #447 | 5 | #12,843 |
| 2015 | 614 | #513 | 6 | #11,132 |
| 2014 | 484 | #603 | — | — |
| 2013 | 409 | #690 | 6 | #11,182 |
| 2012 | 364 | #763 | 5 | #12,878 |
| 2011 | 348 | #782 | — | — |
| 2010 | 356 | #769 | 5 | #12,892 |
| 2009 | 355 | #797 | — | — |
| 2008 | 368 | #794 | 7 | #10,220 |
| 2007 | 347 | #828 | 5 | #12,969 |
| 2006 | 360 | #763 | 6 | #11,087 |
| 2005 | 355 | #753 | — | — |
| 2004 | 427 | #641 | 8 | #8,387 |
| 2003 | 449 | #607 | 7 | #8,969 |
| 2002 | 415 | #617 | 8 | #7,890 |
| 2001 | 429 | #590 | 6 | #9,667 |
| 2000 | 454 | #572 | 6 | #9,484 |
| 1995 | 571 | #450 | 10 | #5,635 |
| 1990 | 759 | #351 | 12 | #4,492 |
| 1985 | 834 | #295 | 15 | #3,122 |
| 1980 | 938 | #267 | 12 | #3,482 |
| 1975 | 1,029 | #234 | 14 | #2,799 |
| 1970 | 1,627 | #199 | 18 | #2,154 |
| 1965 | 2,262 | #163 | 24 | #1,605 |
| 1960 | 3,590 | #127 | 30 | #1,467 |
| 1955 | 4,641 | #96 | 55 | #1,017 |
| 1950 | 6,975 | #51 | 37 | #1,192 |
| 1945 | 7,940 | #34 | 38 | #1,045 |
| 1940 | 8,621 | #28 | 60 | #805 |
| 1935 | 8,770 | #19 | 92 | #608 |
| 1930 | 10,644 | #16 | 127 | #530 |
| 1925 | 13,824 | #11 | 114 | #588 |
| 1920 | 15,883 | #9 | 108 | #605 |
| 1915 | 12,786 | #9 | 91 | #601 |
| 1910 | 4,448 | #11 | 38 | #448 |
| 1905 | 2,887 | #16 | 23 | #469 |
| 1900 | 2,495 | #26 | 19 | #563 |
| 1895 | 1,833 | #29 | 16 | #513 |
| 1890 | 1,416 | #33 | 12 | #578 |
| 1885 | 844 | #46 | 12 | #559 |
| 1880 | 605 | #42 | 16 | #449 |
Famous people named Frances
- Frances Hodgson Burnett Writer · 1849–1924
- Frances Farmer Actor · 1913–1970
- Frances of Rome Religious figure · 1384–1440
- Frances McDormand Actor · b. 1957
- Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk Politician · 1517–1559
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Frances mean?
From Old French Franceise, feminine form of Franceis, from Late Latin Franciscus (“Frankish”).
How popular is the name Frances in 2025?
Frances ranked #318 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 960 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Frances?
600,721 babies have been named Frances in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Frances most popular?
Frances peaked in 1918, when 16,229 newborns received the name.
Is Frances a boy or girl name?
Frances is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Frances rising or falling?
Frances is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Frances?
Well-known people named Frances include Frances Hodgson Burnett (writer), Frances Farmer (actor), Frances of Rome (religious figure).