Frances Girl

Popularity: #299 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: FRAN-sis //ˈfræn.sɪs//

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: free one; English: from France

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Frances has its roots in the Latin name "Franciscus," which means "Frenchman" or "free man." This name was derived from the Latin word "francus," meaning "free." The name gained prominence in the early medieval period, particularly through the influence of Saint Francis of Assisi, who lived in the 13th century and founded the Franciscan order. His life and teachings significantly impacted Christian thought and practice, leading to the name's adoption across various cultures and languages.

As the name transitioned into different languages, it evolved into various forms. In Old French, it appeared as "Frances," which was used for both males and females.

By the late Middle Ages, the name began to be associated more with women, particularly in England, where it was adopted following the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. The name Frances became more widely recognized in English-speaking countries through its association with notable figures, including Frances Burney, an influential 18th-century novelist and playwright.

Culturally, the name Frances has been linked to themes of freedom and nobility, resonating with the ideals of the medieval chivalric code and later humanist movements. The name has also been celebrated in literature and art, further embedding it in cultural consciousness.

A diminutive form, "Fanny," emerged in the 18th century, which also gained popularity as a standalone name. Overall, Frances has maintained a significant presence in various cultures, reflecting its rich historical and linguistic heritage.

Famous people named Frances

In this section, you will find notable people named Frances. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Frances who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Frances who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Frances McDormand is an actress best known for Fargo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Nomadland.

Frances Bean Cobain is a visual artist and model best known for being the daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.

Frances Wright is a writer and social reformer best known for her advocacy of women's rights and abolitionism.

Fictional characters named Frances

The following list of fictional characters named Frances is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Frances is a fictional character from the book and film Frances. She is a talented actress who struggles with personal and professional challenges in her life.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Frances, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CharlotteEleanorMargaretAliceVictoriaBeatrice

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Frances. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

FelicityFlorenceFaithFionaFreyaFridaFayeFern

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Frances was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Frances has ranked as high as #17 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Frances has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Frances is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Frances was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Frances.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 966 6 960
2024 838 9 829
2023 760 0 760
2022 755 0 755
2021 810 9 801
2020 754 10 744
2019 723 5 718
2018 723 0 723
2017 735 5 730
2016 726 5 721
2015 620 6 614
2014 484 0 484
2013 415 6 409
2012 369 5 364
2011 348 0 348
2010 361 5 356
2009 355 0 355
2008 375 7 368
2007 352 5 347
2006 366 6 360
2005 355 0 355
2004 435 8 427
2003 456 7 449
2002 423 8 415
2001 435 6 429
2000 460 6 454
1999 494 6 488
1998 557 10 547
1997 536 5 531
1996 554 10 544
1995 581 10 571
1994 615 7 608
1993 652 12 640
1992 687 18 669
1991 732 21 711
1990 771 12 759
1989 798 17 781
1988 824 17 807
1987 819 13 806
1986 784 19 765
1985 849 15 834
1984 876 21 855
1983 894 19 875
1982 923 19 904
1981 939 14 925
1980 950 12 938
1979 927 14 913
1978 944 20 924
1977 958 18 940
1976 964 16 948
1975 1,043 14 1,029
1974 1,087 19 1,068
1973 1,171 16 1,155
1972 1,296 14 1,282
1971 1,476 25 1,451
1970 1,645 18 1,627
1969 1,665 25 1,640
1968 1,772 27 1,745
1967 1,885 17 1,868
1966 2,145 19 2,126
1965 2,286 24 2,262
1964 2,636 37 2,599
1963 2,780 35 2,745
1962 3,030 26 3,004
1961 3,450 28 3,422
1960 3,620 30 3,590
1959 3,753 36 3,717
1958 3,883 36 3,847
1957 4,133 39 4,094
1956 4,366 42 4,324
1955 4,696 55 4,641
1954 5,185 32 5,153
1953 5,825 39 5,786
1952 6,124 45 6,079
1951 6,627 43 6,584
1950 7,012 37 6,975
1949 7,485 45 7,440
1948 8,212 33 8,179
1947 9,000 57 8,943
1946 8,481 31 8,450
1945 7,978 38 7,940
1944 8,550 63 8,487
1943 9,506 57 9,449
1942 9,530 59 9,471
1941 8,530 62 8,468
1940 8,681 60 8,621
1939 8,642 65 8,577
1938 8,989 68 8,921
1937 9,142 85 9,057
1936 8,853 64 8,789
1935 8,862 92 8,770
1934 9,317 111 9,206
1933 8,967 84 8,883
1932 9,663 111 9,552
1931 9,836 118 9,718
1930 10,771 127 10,644
1929 11,188 95 11,093
1928 12,277 140 12,137
1927 13,113 125 12,988
1926 13,469 114 13,355
1925 13,938 114 13,824
1924 15,288 105 15,183
1923 14,986 105 14,881
1922 15,149 95 15,054
1921 16,099 106 15,993
1920 15,991 108 15,883
1919 15,207 101 15,106
1918 16,229 97 16,132
1917 14,435 72 14,363
1916 13,853 107 13,746
1915 12,877 91 12,786
1914 9,754 77 9,677
1913 7,753 59 7,694
1912 6,726 46 6,680
1911 5,003 36 4,967
1910 4,486 38 4,448
1909 3,800 20 3,780
1908 3,614 21 3,593
1907 3,332 33 3,299
1906 3,048 22 3,026
1905 2,910 23 2,887
1904 2,680 23 2,657
1903 2,382 17 2,365
1902 2,345 19 2,326
1901 2,096 25 2,071
1900 2,514 19 2,495
1899 2,070 12 2,058
1898 2,400 21 2,379
1897 1,993 18 1,975
1896 1,983 19 1,964
1895 1,849 16 1,833
1894 1,793 17 1,776
1893 1,642 20 1,622
1892 1,680 10 1,670
1891 1,407 10 1,397
1890 1,428 12 1,416
1889 1,366 15 1,351
1888 1,467 15 1,452
1887 1,117 12 1,105
1886 1,071 12 1,059
1885 856 12 844
1884 805 16 789
1883 727 17 710
1882 693 12 681
1881 598 12 586
1880 621 16 605

Top States for Frances (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 87
11%
NY 60
8%
TX 50
6%
IL 39
5%
AL 39
5%
NC 33
4%
MI 28
4%
GA 28
4%
OH 27
3%
WA 26
3%
MN 25
3%
CO 23
3%
TN 22
3%
MA 22
3%
VA 22
3%
PA 20
3%
FL 20
3%
OR 19
2%
LA 19
2%
WI 16
2%
MO 15
2%
SC 15
2%
KY 13
2%
MD 13
2%
IN 12
2%
NJ 11
1%
OK 10
1%
KS 9
1%
CT 9
1%
DC 9
1%
ME 9
1%
VT 8
1%
AZ 7
1%
MS 7
1%
NE 7
1%
IA 6
1%
UT 5
1%
AR 5
1%