Frances: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced FRAN-siz · 2 syllables

Frances means “free; from France”, from Latin.

From Old French Franceise, feminine form of Franceis, from Late Latin Franciscus (“Frankish”). Doublet of Francesca and Francisca.

How popular is Frances?

Frances was the #318 name in the US in 2025, given to 966 babies. It’s rising: up 85% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1910.

Babies named Frances in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1910).

Half of US adults named Frances are older than 73; most are between 33 and 90. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Frances have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Frances means “free; from France”. It comes from Latin.

Frances is pronounced FRAN-siz.

Frances was the #318 name in the US in 2025, given to 966 babies. It’s rising: up 85% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1910.

Half of US adults named Frances are older than 73. Most are between 33 and 90.