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| ] was the name given to ] by his father in memory of the boy's mother, a Frenchwoman, who died when the child was still in his early years. It means 'Little Frenchman'. The name of ] itself comes from the ] people known as the ]; the origin of their name is unclear but perhaps meaning "free". | ] was the name given to ] by his father in memory of the boy's mother, a Frenchwoman, who died when the child was still in his early years. It means 'Little Frenchman'. The name of ] itself comes from the ] people known as the ]; the origin of their name is unclear but perhaps meaning "free". | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| *]. | *]. | ||
| ==Other uses== | ==Other uses== | ||
Revision as of 20:12, 4 June 2007
Francis is an English first name and a surname ultimately descended from the Italian name Francesco, the name Francis of Assisi.
Francis is a name that has many derivatives, the most common being Frank. The female version of the name in English is Frances, with emphasis on the letter e, and (less commonly) Francine. The name Fran is a common diminutive for Francis, Frances and Francine.
Related names in other languages
Related names are common in other Western European languages, in countries that are (or were before the Reformation) Catholic. These names include:
- Italian: Francesco, Franco, Francesca (female version)
- Latin: Franciscus
- Spanish: Francisco, Paco, Fran, Quico, Pancho, Cisco, Chisco...
- Portuguese: Francisco
- French: François, Frank, Franck
- German: Franziskus, Franz
- Greek: Frangiskos
- Hungarian: Ferenc
- Irish: Pronsious
- Croatian: Franjo, Frano, Frane
Derivation
Francesco was the name given to Saint Francis of Assisi by his father in memory of the boy's mother, a Frenchwoman, who died when the child was still in his early years. It means 'Little Frenchman'. The name of France itself comes from the Germanic people known as the Franks; the origin of their name is unclear but perhaps meaning "free".