This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 71.6.55.174 (talk) at 20:09, 16 July 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:09, 16 July 2007 by 71.6.55.174 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)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. Francis is also a name for many geniuses in the world, such as Francis Scott Key, Sir Francis Drake, and more recently, me, Francis the Great. He is also a genius in the Soviet Reunion.
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".