Francis
Borrowed from Medieval Latin Franciscus (“French(man)”) (from Francia (“France”)).
Every Francis since 1880 — 320,322 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Francis
Francis is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #420 in 2025 with 769 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 320,322 American babies have been named Francis — about 91% boys and 9% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1918, when 7,000 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 Francis stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Francis 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 | 122 | #1,685 | 769 | #420 |
| 2024 | 92 | #2,085 | 695 | #450 |
| 2023 | 98 | #2,004 | 677 | #456 |
| 2022 | 69 | #2,565 | 664 | #462 |
| 2021 | 88 | #2,139 | 637 | #467 |
| 2020 | 78 | #2,291 | 616 | #482 |
| 2019 | 90 | #2,095 | 605 | #484 |
| 2018 | 75 | #2,409 | 610 | #480 |
| 2017 | 78 | #2,343 | 662 | #458 |
| 2016 | 81 | #2,328 | 638 | #482 |
| 2015 | 64 | #2,754 | 622 | #481 |
| 2014 | 64 | #2,723 | 593 | #480 |
| 2013 | 58 | #2,918 | 539 | #505 |
| 2012 | 44 | #3,604 | 430 | #593 |
| 2011 | 52 | #3,187 | 387 | #617 |
| 2010 | 45 | #3,539 | 358 | #671 |
| 2009 | 54 | #3,136 | 359 | #676 |
| 2008 | 72 | #2,594 | 368 | #660 |
| 2007 | 76 | #2,466 | 402 | #616 |
| 2006 | 61 | #2,862 | 451 | #556 |
| 2005 | 64 | #2,643 | 463 | #526 |
| 2004 | 71 | #2,405 | 456 | #524 |
| 2003 | 83 | #2,110 | 465 | #518 |
| 2002 | 98 | #1,828 | 464 | #497 |
| 2001 | 94 | #1,865 | 546 | #444 |
| 2000 | 116 | #1,544 | 559 | #435 |
| 1995 | 161 | #1,102 | 697 | #352 |
| 1990 | 157 | #1,113 | 919 | #284 |
| 1985 | 138 | #1,067 | 935 | #245 |
| 1980 | 153 | #968 | 922 | #243 |
| 1975 | 135 | #938 | 957 | #217 |
| 1970 | 137 | #938 | 1,389 | #192 |
| 1965 | 123 | #910 | 1,815 | #164 |
| 1960 | 193 | #728 | 2,416 | #145 |
| 1955 | 202 | #658 | 3,439 | #100 |
| 1950 | 254 | #509 | 4,082 | #86 |
| 1945 | 245 | #455 | 3,448 | #76 |
| 1940 | 317 | #370 | 3,607 | #61 |
| 1935 | 381 | #323 | 3,894 | #53 |
| 1930 | 467 | #307 | 4,990 | #42 |
| 1925 | 660 | #259 | 5,978 | #35 |
| 1920 | 653 | #259 | 6,241 | #34 |
| 1915 | 503 | #261 | 5,594 | #29 |
| 1910 | 227 | #254 | 1,000 | #36 |
| 1905 | 149 | #268 | 685 | #36 |
| 1900 | 159 | #257 | 652 | #41 |
| 1895 | 126 | #250 | 480 | #45 |
| 1890 | 101 | #246 | 363 | #55 |
| 1885 | 66 | #250 | 319 | #56 |
| 1880 | 55 | #206 | 344 | #50 |
Famous people named Francis
- Francis Bacon Philosopher · 1561–1626
- Francis of Assisi Religious figure · 1182–1226
- Francis Drake Explorer · 1540–1596
- Francis I of France Politician · 1494–1547
- Francis II of France Politician · 1544–1560
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Francis mean?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin Franciscus (“French(man)”) (from Francia (“France”)).
How popular is the name Francis in 2025?
Francis ranked #420 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 769 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Francis?
320,322 babies have been named Francis in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Francis most popular?
Francis peaked in 1918, when 7,000 newborns received the name.
Is Francis a boy or girl name?
Francis is used for both: about 9% of babies named Francis have been girls and 91% boys.
Is the name Francis rising or falling?
Francis is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Francis?
Well-known people named Francis include Francis Bacon (philosopher), Francis of Assisi (religious figure), Francis Drake (explorer).