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The name of a character from the song-series Communications by Ghost & Pals! An absolutely lovely name if you ask me.
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, a heroic woman who founded an orphanage in New York city. A Catholic saint and subject of the movie "Cabrini". I admire her so much!
This reminds me of France.
Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in a US presidential Cabinet and the architect of some of the 20th century's most significant progressive legislation.Frances Perkins was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1880. She trained in the hard sciences, earning degrees in chemistry and physics from Mount Holyoke College. While at Mount Holyoke, she became involved in progressive politics and suffragist activities.After graduating, she worked as a teacher and got involved in Hull House, where she worked alongside Jane Addams. She enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1907 and worked as a social worker in Philadelphia. She then moved to New York, where she enrolled at Columbia University and continued her work with the suffragist movement.She began a long and significant career in labor activism beginning in 1910. In 1911, she witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which proved a deeply significant movement in her life.In 1911, Perkins was having tea in New York City's Washington Square when she and her companions heard fire engines. Perkins ran to the scene, where she witnessed young women jumping to their deaths while the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory burned. More than 100 died in the fire. Witnessing the event was a pivotal moment for Perkins, who later declared the day of the fire as "the day the New Deal was born."Perkins gained respect from political leaders for her efforts and was appointed to various commissions. Her appointment was often met with criticism. Some viewed her as a radical - she, after all, got married in 1913 but refused to take her husband's last name. Manufacturers viewed her positions as harmful to their profits and made their displeasure known. She also had limited ties to organized labor, which concerned labor leaders. Nonetheless, she continued working for workers' safety.As the Great Depression struck, Perkins became louder in her activism. When the administration of President Herbert Hoover declared in 1930 that employment was on the rise, Perkins called a press conference where she was eviscerated the administration's efforts.Perkins became a partner of New York's governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt. With Roosevelt's blessing, Perkins began working on a system of unemployment insurance for the state. Upon Roosevelt's direction, she spent time in 1930 studying the British system of unemployment insurance. Returning late in the year, she began working to implement recommendations based on the British system.In 1933, newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Perkins to join his Cabinet. The two had worked together in New York politics.At their first meeting, Perkins presented Roosevelt with a list that included: a 40-hour work week; a minimum wage; unemployment compensation; worker’s compensation; abolition of child labor; direct federal aid to the states for unemployment relief; Social Security; a revitalized federal employment service; and universal health insurance. When Roosevelt agreed to support her, she agreed to take the job. She became the first woman in a presidential Cabinet. (Each of the four previous presidential administrations had rumored to be considering a woman in the Cabinet, though none had followed through.)The press mocked Perkins' selection, calling her "Ma Perkins" and "Frances the Perk." In person, though, she insisted on being called "Madame Secretary." She ran the Department of Labor with a tight hold, and worked on writing New Deal legislation. Under her direction, Social Security was enacted in 1935; the Fair Labor Standards Act - including a minimum wage, maximum work hours, and banning child labor - was enacted in 1938. By the end of her tenure, the only item on her 1933 agenda left undone was universal health insurance, a goal that manages to still evade the United States in 2022.In total, Perkins served twelve years as Secretary of Labor, including the entire duration of Roosevelt's presidency and the beginning of President Harry Truman's administration. A 1944 profile in "Collier's" magazine wrote that the New Deal was “not so much the Roosevelt New Deal, as … the Perkins New Deal.”Much can and has been said about the sidelining of New Deal-ers toward the end of the Roosevelt's presidency and the beginning of Truman's. Truman himself was added to the 1944 presidential ticket by anti-New Deal forces and segregationists who viewed Roosevelt's unapologetically progressive vice president, Henry Wallace, as a threat. By the time Roosevelt died in April 1945, only a handful of original New Deal builders remained; Perkins was gone from her post at the end of June 1945, and by the end of 1946 Truman had replaced every remaining New Deal-er.Perkins herself was appointed by Truman to commission positions, but left government service upon her husband's death in 1952.Perkins taught at Cornell University from 1953 until her death in 1965.Perkins died at age 85 in May 1965.Frances Perkins was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1982.An active Episcopalian, Perkins was recognized as a saint in the Episcopal Church in 2009: her feast day is celebrated May 13th. Her homestead in Maine in currently in development as a National Historic Site, and her Washington, D.C. home has also been designated as a National Historic Landmark.The headquarters of the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. was renamed in Perkins' honor in 1980.
This name is a classic. It’s beautiful, gorgeous and mature.
The name Frances is so beautiful, and I love the nickname Frankie. I think it works well for both genders, I've always been a big fan of classic unisex names.
For some strange reason, I like Frances, but strongly dislike Francis!
Dr. Frances Cress Welsing is an American psychiatrist. She is the author of The Isis Papers : The Keys to the Colors.
Great name! Has quality, has class, has strength and mature stability! I like this name a lot. Frances had some popularity many decades ago, so it feels more like an older female name, but whatever, Frances is good!
I use Fran as a nickname as people started calling me it, and I don't mind at all because I like it. It doesn't sound weird or old at all in my opinion, and the people who started calling me Fran are quite young too.
I love it. Glorious name we got here. Frannie, Franny, Frankie, Annie, Fran, Fanny are some good nickname ideas.
@noisynora It would be best not to use "Fanny" these days - it's a slang term for female genitalia in British English. Thankfully there are many other nicknames to choose from!
Please please please don’t do this to a poor little girl! I would absolutely hate being stuck with name! I grew up with a Frances and she was teased her whole life!
"Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is: From France or 'free one. ' The male version of the name in English is Francis." (from wikipedia)
I don't understand how anybody dislikes this beautiful name. It's amazing! It goes well with any age. I can imagine an infant named Frances, a toddler named Frances, a child named Frances, a teenager named Frances, an adult named Frances and a senior citizen named Frances.
Only like this name for females.
Frances is such an awful sounding name.
This is such a beautiful name. It makes me feel I am walking into a garden crowded with tall, white flowers in the golden sunlight, the green grass glowing.
FRAN-səz in English to distinguish this name from Francis which is pronounced FRAN-sis.
My middle name is Frances, thank goodness it's not my first name, because it's bad enough having it as a middle name. People like to tease me about it and I often get called an "old lady". (eye roll). It's not that I don't like carrying this name because it has a lot of significance in my family (my mom has the middle name as well, as she was named after her favorite great aunt), it's just really old and stuffy-sounding. I don't particularly like it, as it also reminds me too much of the masculine name, but oh well. So do your kids a favor and don't give your kids heirloom names because they WILL get teased.
@River_Spirit07 - Wow, you really got teased about it? Even though it's your middle name? Frances is my first name, and I've never been teased or made fun of for it, and I've actually gotten compliments on it a few times since it's a little more uncommon than most people's first names.
My mother is a Frances, born in 1969. She says she hates it when people spell it with an “I” instead of an “E” (Francis).
She says to me, that Frances is for females, and Francis for males.
Although this statement is not always true, depending on where you live or come from. We live in Australia (VIC).
Mackenzie Frances Ziegler is a dancer, singer, actress and model. She is known for starring on “Dance Moms” for six seasons with her mom, Melissa and sister, Maddie. She has also released several songs which include “Girl Party” and “Shine”. She has also starred on “Total Eclipse” as Cassie.
Famous bearer Judy Garland (born June 10,1922 Frances Ethel Gumm).
I really like this name. It works for both genders in my opinion. It does give off an old-fashioned vibe, but is not too dated. I really like "Frankie" as a nickname for a girl, but "Fran" is awful in my opinion.
Martha Washington had a few relatives who bore this name. Frances “Fanny” Bassett was Martha Washington’s favorite niece. She married George Washington’s nephew, George Augustine Washington. Martha Washington’s mother was also a Frances — Frances Jones Dandridge. MW also had a daughter with her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, named Frances Parke Custis, but she died as a little girl.
Frances Kelsey (1914-2015) was a Canadian-American pharmacologist and researcher.
My sister's name is Frances and she hates when our mum calls her "Franny" lol Although I think it sounds very old fashioned, it's not a horrible name, it really suits my sister.
In 2018, 67 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Frances who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 155th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
I think Frances is a venerable name, although not exactly pretty to my ears. However, I like the nickname Francie a lot. Maybe because I had a great-aunt Francie (whose real name was the Polish Franciszka) and she was kind and funny. Also because A Tree Grows in Brooklyn's main character is Francie Nolan, and that's my favorite book. Her full name is Mary Frances Nolan.
Frances is my middle name - I have used it because I hated my first name. Now, I like the name - a young father said that they named their daughter Frances, and he thinks it is the most beautiful name. To the Brits who say the name is nasal, your British pronunciation of Frances is why you don't like it. It sounds awful. That is your fault, not the fault of the name. Check out the beautiful Italian Francesca and the Spanish Francisca.
Francie is also a pronunciation of the original name Francis, and associates with Saint Francis of Assisi.
A Frances is inevitably going to be Fran & it’s awful.
My name's Frances, and I've found it to be pretty uncommon where I live. The only other person I knew with my name was an old lady... It sounds kinda posh but I'm okay with that, as I can always be called Fran (my friends call me Fran the man, very funny guys). One of the downsides is that EVERYONE spells my name as Francis, so I have to remind them it's I for masculine and E for feminine, but they always forget. I'm not a particularly feminine girl so I like how it is acceptable for all genders.
I like it for girls, and Francis (like the Pope's name) for boys. I prefer Francine or Franesca or Francesco though. I like the nickname Frank for Francis and Frankie for Frances.
Not one of my favourite names. I don't like it for girls. It doesn't sound feminine to me.
"The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" is a Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle.
This name doesn't sound feminine at all, in my opinion.
Frances sounds like a boy's name to me. Just my opinion.
This is my middle name, and let me just say, I LOVE it. The only thing I don't like is the spelling. You know, "e for a girl, I for a boy." People always spell my name as "Ella Francis", and I have to constantly tell them that's wrong. I do love the name though, it's very rare nowadays and I like how well it goes with my popular first name. I do not like the nicknames Fran, Franny, or even Fanny. I would probably go by Frances or maybe Frankie if that were my first name. In short, I love the name Frances. :)
My name is Frances and my nickname is Frankie. I was named after my mother, Frances, who was an intern named after her aunt Frances (nicknamed Fann... ) who also was named after an aunt Frances. As a kid I didn't like the name but now that I'm older and wiser I like it.
Frances Bean Cobain is an American visual artist and model, and the only child of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love. Frances Cobain was born on August 18, 1992 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She was named after Frances McKee, the guitarist for the Scottish indie pop duo The Vaselines. Her middle name, Bean, was chosen because Kurt Cobain thought she looked like a kidney bean on the ultrasound.
Frances Rose McIver is a New Zealand actress. Her mainstream feature film debut came in 2009's The Lovely Bones; other works include the films Predicament, and Blinder; as well as guest appearances in New Zealand-based shows Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Legend of the Seeker. McIver was a series regular on Power Rangers RPM, and she has recurring roles in both Showtime's Masters of Sex and on ABC's Once Upon a Time.
You could call her (This spelling is more feminine.) Frankie, or Franki, if you don't mind boyish names on girls.
I love this name! It sounds pretty, if a little old fashioned. I like all the nicknames, too.
Well... I am a Fran but only my best friends call me Franny. I recently lost a sister who only called me Franny. I was named after my father's only sister. I never really cared for my name but love the fact that when I am called Franny, it's from my closest friends. It's a term of endearment. It's unique.
My name is Frances and I think the name is actually rather nice. However, I will admit although I like the name, I do choose to go by the nickname Fran. But that is mainly because my best friend is also called Frances. Me and my best friend have been friends since we were 4 and we are both nearing our 17th birthdays soon. As well as us both having the same name my older sister's best friend also has the middle name 'Frances' - and they have known each other for nearly 24 years (they are both 28)
In each generation of my family we have had at least one variation of the name... Examples: Francis, Frank, Fran, Francine, Francesca, Franny, Fanny.
I think the name is underrated to be honest, it's actually a rather nice name.
The name Frances is very cute, sweet and vintage for a girl! I like the nickname Franny. :3.
I can't stand the name Frances, it's one of my absolute least favourite names. The combination of the long 'AH' sound with the consonants 'FR' 'C-S' gives it this horrible, posh, spluttering sound. Just awful.Also, every Frances I've met has been insecure and untrustworthy. Fran is even worse, sounds like flan to me. And Fanny... I'm from England and the meaning here is even more inappropriate for a first name.There's plenty of classic, strong, non-girly names out there that aren't so ugly.
I ADORE this name for a girl!My dad's name is Francis, so I would certainly consider naming a daughter Frances after him. I think it's really fresh and original, as I've never met a Frances! I think it's gorgeous; so classy and understated, yet bold in its own way.
The actress Amanda Peet has a daughter named Frances, born in 2007. Frances has a younger sister named Molly, born in 2010.
I actually know a little girl named Frances, which is really nice and refreshing compared to all the "modern" names other kids her age have, but I still prefer Francis for a boy.
Frances Fisher (born 1952) is an English-born American actress. She played Rose's stuck-up mother in James Cameron's Titanic.
I always thought it was pronounced fran-SEZ.
Frances Ethel Gumm was the real birth name of the famous America actress, Judy Garland.
Frances Ruffelle won a Tony Award for originating the role of Éponine in the English version Les Misérables.
My middle name is Frances (Jaclyn Frances) though I don't like to tell people this because I'm not a fan of it. I'm only okay with it because it was my Grandmother's name and my mother, brother and I never got to meet her.
Sounds like a nun's name. I don't like it.
Gidget's real name from the Gidget movies. Her other nickname was Francy.
Frances is my middle name, after my grandmother. I've always disliked it because I think it sounds ugly and old-fashioned. When people ask my what my middle name is I get embarrassed to tell them it is Frances. I am just happy it is not my first name.
In Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" Frances is the name of Hindley's (Cathy's brother) wife. She is a silly and physically weak character, but high spirited and loving towards her husband. She later dies shortly after giving birth.
Polish cellist Frances Grace Borowska (born 5th July, 1992, Baltimore, Maryland, USA). She is the youngest of three children born to cellist Cecylia Barczyk and political-scientist Charles K. H. Borowsky, Ph.D.
My name is Frances, I love it! I like that I wasn't named something that is super-popular and trendy, but I kind of don't like that I only seem to share my name with seventy-year-olds, lol. Most people think the name is sort of dated, but I prefer to think it's classic, like Alice or Emma. It sounds feminine, but it also sounds good for a boys name, like Francis off Malcolm and the Middle (every time the mom on that show yells, "Francis!", I reply, "What!"). Also, I have loads of nicknames. The common ones: Frankie, Fran, Frannie. The ones bestowed upon me by my well-meaning mother: Frannie-Foof, Farney. The weird ones that my best friends call me: Frankalino, Francisco, James Franco, Frank Zappa, Professor Frink, Fracas, Frankenstein... You get the picture. :)
Frances Glass, nickname 'Franny', is a member of the famous Glass family created by writer J. D. Salinger. She's mentioned in several short stories and most notably in 'Franny and Zooey.'
I've got the middle name Frances and while I kind of like it, people always think of old ladies and stuff, which is a bit stupid but true. My name (Caitlin Frances) goes well, because I used to be called Katie-Fran. Except my dad, he called me Cakie-Fran. (I am rolling my eyes as I speak).
My name is Frances. I have no problems with this name. I think it sounds both strong and delicate at the same time. Some see it as a name for an old, posh woman but, like my favourite book heroine Mary Frances Nolan (a tree grows in brooklyn by betty smith) I think it is a name for a thoughtful, resourceful person. By the way I am 12.
On June 15, 1905, Triplet sisters Annis, Sarah and Frances Waggoner are born in the United States. The three sisters each celebrate their 93rd birthdays in 1998 to earn the honors of oldest living triplets in the U.S. Sarah passes away on January 24, 1999 at 93 years, 223 days.
This is one of the few names ending in the 's' sound, along with Bellatrix, Beatrice, Alice, and Iris, that I like. I also like the fact that the pronunciation is identical to the masculine name Francis, which makes the name sound nicely gender-neutral. However, the fact that this is Courtney Love's daughter's name has ruined the otherwise good name for me. Bah!
I do believe that the famous George Gershwin had a younger sister named Frances. Although I'm not quite sure she's a "famous bearer" lol!
I really despise this name. I mean really. The sound is simply horrible, and every time I read it I hear it in my head with a nasal twang. There's nothing wrong with the name itself, but it just sounds horrid.
A common nickname for Frances, pre-1930, was Fanny. Not sure this would go down too well today.
Even though I'm not really into the gender-switch thing, I really like Frances with an "e" not an i, even for a boy.
My sister's name is Frances, she was named after the character in Dirty Dancing. I've never really been overly fond of the name so me and my friends just call her Fran.
Frances is too old-fashioned for me. The nickname Fran is cool, but I wouldn't name my daughter this name. It is pretty in it's own way though. Whenever I think of this name, I think of Judy Garland because this name is her birth name (Frances Ethel Gumm). Frankie is a cool nickname as well.
Frances is the name of the protagonist in Betty Smith's 1943 novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," though she is called Francie throughout the book.
"Baby" from 'Dirty Dancing's real name was Frances. I don't really like it so much on its own but I like "Mary Frances".
Variation I once came across: Francelia.
In Spanish, the word for French is francés, with an accent mark. The name Frances usually does not have an accent mark, and is pronounced differently.
This is the middle name of the late Princess Diana of Wales.
Famous bearer is the English actress Frances O'Connor (Mansfield Park, Timeline).
Frances means in Spanish: French.
Frances Gumm was Judy Garland's real name.
Actress Frances McDormand is a famous bearer.
Frances Bean - daughter of Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love - is named after Frances McKee from The Vaselines.
Frances Farmer was an American film actress.
Author Frances Hodgson Burnett, who wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess, is a famous bearer of this name. She had a son named Vivian (who was the inspiration for Cedric, the title character in Little Lord Fauntleroy).
The name Frances is also the name of a big movie director in Spain. His name is Frances DeMendez.
I have only ever met Frances-es that were female, although I do have a few Francis-es in my family tree.

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