Francis is a French and English given name of Latin origin.
Francis is a name that has many derivatives in most European languages. The female version of the name in English is Frances, and (less commonly) Francine. (For most speakers, Francis and Frances are homophones or near homophones; a popular mnemonic for the spelling is "i for him and e for her".) The name Frank is a common diminutive for Francis and Fanny for Frances.
Francesco ("the Frenchman") was the name given to Saint Francis of Assisi (baptized Giovanni) by his francophile father, celebrating his trade with French merchants. Due to the renown of the saint, this Italian name became widespread in Western Europe during the Middle Ages in different versions (Francisco, François, etc.). However, it was not regularly used in Britain until the 16th century as Francis.
The name of France itself comes from the Germanic people known as the Franks; the origin of their name is unclear but is thought to mean "free".
The characteristic national weapon of the Franks was the francisca, a throwing axe.
Related names are common in other Western European languages, in countries that are (or were before the Reformation) Catholic. Other non-European languages have also adopted variants of the name. These names include:
Arabic: فرانشيسكو (Farānsheskū), فرنسيس (Faransĩs), فرانسيس (Farānsĩs)
Aragonese: Francho
Armenian: Ֆրանծիսկոս (Franciskos)
Asturian: Xicu
Albanian: Françesku
Alemannic German: Franz
Basque: Frantzisko, Frantziska, Patxi
Bulgarian: Франциск (Frantsisk)
Belarusian: Francišak, Францішак (Frantsishak)
Breton: Franseza, Frañsez, Fañch, Fañchig, Soaig, Saig
Catalan: Francesc, Cesc, Cesco, Xesc, Xisco, Fran (male version); Francesca, Cisca, Xisca, Xesca, Fani, Francina (female version)
Chinese: 弗朗西斯 (Fúlǎngxīsī), 方濟各 (Fāngjìgè), 法蘭西斯 (Fǎlánxīsī)
Corsican: Francescu, Franciscu
Croatian: Franjo, Frano, Frane, Fran (male version); Franciska, Franka, Franca, Franjica (female version)
Czech: František, Františka (female version)
Dutch: Frans, Frank, Franciscus, Franciescus, Francieskus, Francis, Francies, Cies (Franciska, Francisca or Francien is used to signify the female version in the Netherlands)
English: Francis, Frank, Frances (female version)
Esperanto: Francisko
Estonian: Franciscus
Finnish: Frans, Fransiscus,"Ransu".
French: François, Francis, Francisque (rare) (male version); Françoise, France, Francine (female version)
Galician: Francisco
German: Franziskus, Franz, Franziska (female version)
Greek: Fragiskos, Fragkiskos, Frangiskos, Frangkiskos, Frankiskos, (Φραγκίσκος), Frantzeskos (Φραντζέσκος), Frankiski (Φραγκίσκη), Frantzeska (Φραντζέσκα) (female version)
Gujarati: ફ્રાન્સિસ (Phrānsisa)
Hawaiian: Palakiko
Hindi: फ्रांसिस (Phrānsisa)
Hungarian: Ferenc, Feri, Franciska (female version)
Icelandic: Frans
Indonesian: Fransiskus, Fransiska (female version)
Irish: Proinsias, Proinnsias [Francie], (all variants are valid for both males & females, rare for a female to adopt this name in Irish)
Italian: Francesco, Franco, Fran, Cino, Cisco, Cecco (male version); Franca, Francesca, Ciccia, Cina, Cesca, Cecca (female version)
Japanese: フランシス (Furanshisu)(for translation of English name), フランシスコ (Furanshisuko)(for translation of Christian name)
Kannada: ಫ್ರಾನ್ಸಿಸ್ (Phrānsis)
Konkani: Frask, Forso
Korean: 프란치스코
Latin: Franciscus
Latvian: Francisks
Lithuanian: Francas, Pranciškus (historical)
Lombard: Francesch
Luo (Ke/Tz): Fransisko, Pransis
Macedonian: Френсис (Frensis)
Malayalam: പൊറിഞ്ചു (Porinchu/Porinju), പ്രാഞ്ചി Pranchi, Prenju, Frenju (popular amongst the Syro Malabar Catholics of Kerala. Porinchu being more common in the North around the Thrissur ArchDiocese, while Prenju and Frenju are more common in the South in the Kuttanad region of the Changanacherry ArchDiocese)
Maltese: Franġisk, Frans
Manx: Frank
Neapolitan: Franciscu
Norman: Françouais
Norwegian: Frans, Franciskus
Occitan: Francés
Persian: فرانسیس
Piedmontese: Fransesch
Polish: Franciszek
Portuguese: Francisco, Francisquinho, Chico, Chiquinho, Quico, Fran, Paco (diminutives) Francisca (female version), Francisquinha, Chica, Chiquinha, Quica (diminutives)
Romanian: Francisc, Frâncu
Russian: Франческо (Franchesko) for Italians, Франциск (Frantsisk) for popes, Франц (Frants) for Germans.
Samogitian: Prancėškos
Sardinian: Frantziscu, Franciscu
Scottish Gaelic: Frangag, Frances, Francis
Serbian: Френсис, Franja, Franc, Francisko (rare in native usage)
Sicilian: Franciscu, Ciscu
Slovak: František
Slovene: Frančišek, Franček, France, Franci, Franc, Fran, Franko
Spanish: Francisco, Paco, Paquito, Curro, Fran, Quico, Pancho, Cisco, Chisco, Francisca (female version), Paca (female version), Paqui or Paquita (female version)
Swahili: Fransisko
Swedish: Franciskus, Frans
Tamil: பிரான்சிஸ் (Pirāṉcis)
Telugu: ఫ్రాన్సిస్ (Phrānsis)
Thai: ฟรานซิส (F rān sis̄)
Turkish: Fransız, Fransuva
Venetian: Francesco
Vietnamese: Phanxicô
Welsh: Fransis
West Frisian: Fransiskus
Yiddish: פראַנסיס (Prʼansys)
Ukrainian: Франциск (Frantsisk)
Francis Bacon (1561–1626), English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method.
Francis Bacon (1909-1992), Artist.
Francis Baines (1648–1710), English Jesuit.
Francis C. Heitmeier (born 1950), American politician.
Francis Ford Coppola (born 1939), American film-director, producer, and screenwriter.
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (1915-1998), American singer, actor, and producer.
Francis E. Donoghue (1872–1952), member of Illinois State House of Representatives.
Francis Drake, English sea captain.
Francis Dugas (1919-2008), member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), American novelist and short story writer.
Francis B. Foley (1887-1973), American metallurgist.
Francis Fontaine (author) (1845-1901), American poet and novelist.
Francis Fukuyama (born 1952), American political scientist.
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd (1917-1992), British comedian and actor.
Francis Irving, British computer programmer and activist for freedom of information
Francis Kobangoye (born 1990), Gabonese basketball player
Francis Scott Key (1779-1843), writer of the American national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner".
Francis J. McCaffrey (1917-1989), American lawyer and politician from The Bronx, New York.
Francis J. McCaffrey, Jr. (1902-1972), American lawyer and politician from Brooklyn, New York.
Francis Maude, politician.
Francis Molo (born 1994), New Zealand-Australian rugby league player.
Francis Valentino American Musician.
Francis Webb (disambiguation), multiple people.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (1708–1765), also Francis III, Duke of Lorraine
Francis I of France, King of France (1494–1547)
Francis II of France, King of France (1544–1560)
Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450)
Francis II, Duke of Brittany (1433–1488)
Francis III, Duke of Brittany (1518–1536)
Francis I, Duke of Lorraine (1517–1545)
Francis II, Duke of Lorraine (1572–1632)
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, also Francis I, Emperor of Austria (1768–1835)
Franz, Duke of Bavaria (born 1933), called "Francis II" by Jacobite supporters
Prince Francis Joseph of Braganza (1878–1919), Infante of Portugal, 2nd son of Miguel II, legitimist claimant to the throne of Portugal
Francis of Spain (1822–1902), Duke of Cádiz, King Consort of Queen Isabella II
Francis I of the Two Sicilies (1777–1830)
Francis II of the Two Sicilies (1836–1894)
Francis IV, Duke of Modena (1779–1846)
Francis V, Duke of Modena (1819–1875)
Francis I Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania (1645–1676)
Francis II Rákóczi, Duke of Hungary and Prince Transylvania (1676–1735)
Scandinavia
Francis of Denmark (1497-1511), Prince of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
Pope Francis (born 1936), the current Pope
St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182–1226), Italian Catholic friar and saint
Francis de Sales (1567–1622), French Catholic bishop and saint
Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Spanish Catholic friar and saint
Francis Cardinal George, OMI (1937–2015), Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago (1997-2014)
Francis "Frank" Castle, fictional vigilante from Marvel Comics also known as the Punisher.
Francis the Talking Mule, featured in seven movies in the 1950s, voiced by Chill Wills
Francis Underwood from the Netflix original series House of Cards (U.S. TV series)'
Francis Urquhart, lead character of the British political thriller House of Cards (UK TV series)
