Comments
Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
Famous
Impression
Other
Francis Lee Bailey, Jr. (1933-2021) was a prominent, exceptionally talented American criminal defense attorney. He successfully defended neurosurgeon Sam Sheppard; U.S. Army Captain, Ernest Medina; and former NFL player, O.J. Simpson. He is regarded as one of the greatest trial lawyers in history.
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Hmmm... I am seeing a pattern with the names to Frances and Frances and similar names being used in English-speaking Countries:
The name Francis is primarily used as a Masculine name and Frances is used as a Feminine name.
Francis is sometimes used as a Feminine name as a rare variant of Frances but it's NOT very common.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francis/top/united-states?compare=frances
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francis/top/england-wales?compare=frances
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francis/top/australia-nsw?compare=frances
Following a similar style, Francisco is a popular Masculine name in the USA and Francesca is a popular Feminine name from the 70s onwards.
Francisca is also used in the USA until it stopped using mainly in the 50s.
Francesco is NOT a popular name in the USA.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francisco/top/united-states?compare=francesca%20francesco%20francisca
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francisco/top/england-wales?compare=francesca%20francesco%20francisca
Other countries are subject to their own variations (Like Francesco being popular in Italy as a Masculine name and Francisca being popular as a Feminine name in Latin America and Brazil).
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francesco
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francisca
https://forebears.io/forenames/francesco
https://forebears.io/forenames/francisca
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The name Francis is primarily used as a Masculine name and Frances is used as a Feminine name.
Francis is sometimes used as a Feminine name as a rare variant of Frances but it's NOT very common.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francis/top/united-states?compare=frances
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francis/top/england-wales?compare=frances
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francis/top/australia-nsw?compare=frances
Following a similar style, Francisco is a popular Masculine name in the USA and Francesca is a popular Feminine name from the 70s onwards.
Francisca is also used in the USA until it stopped using mainly in the 50s.
Francesco is NOT a popular name in the USA.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francisco/top/united-states?compare=francesca%20francesco%20francisca
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francisco/top/england-wales?compare=francesca%20francesco%20francisca
Other countries are subject to their own variations (Like Francesco being popular in Italy as a Masculine name and Francisca being popular as a Feminine name in Latin America and Brazil).
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francesco
https://www.behindthename.com/name/francisca
https://forebears.io/forenames/francesco
https://forebears.io/forenames/francisca
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I really like the name Francis. I like its length, its classy charm, and its powerful meaning: “Free man.” I like Francis for a boy and Frances for a girl, and “Frankie” as a nickname for both. I also like Francis because it ages flawlessly, as I can easily picture this name belonging to a male of any age. Overall, I think Francis is a lovely name.
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Sir Francis Smith (1819 – 1909) was an Australian lawyer, judge and politician, who served as the fourth Premier of Tasmania from 12 May 1857 until 1 November 1860.
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My name is Francis and I am a guy. Now, I understand that this name is considered a unisexmoniker, however, I have noticed that most of the people I have met who have this for a name are all men. Although, I might add that they tend to be elderly. I guess being a Francis in his late teens makes me the odd one out, funnily enough. Anyway, I like my first name as it can’t be accused of being so common nor overused to the point where the public might get sick of it. So, yeah a pretty good name from all sides of the same coin toss as my dad always tells me. :)
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I'm a Frances, and I can appreciate the alternate spelling! I think "Francis" is a more classic and timeless name than "Frances", which is often seen as a little dated.
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Francis is a moniker that can be utilized as both a forename and a middle name. The concept, in my humble opinion, lends itself as being versatile in its usage that really establishes an elegant and refined presence as a name alone. On further observation, it should be mentioned that quite a bevy of illustrious personages in history have gone and went by this name. In conclusion, Francis is one of those names that are timeless without being overused to the point where it becomes stale.
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In one episode from the Cartoon Network's We Baby Bears, there is one called "Baby Bear Genius" where the main antagonist for that episode is a red headed boy genius called Francis. According to his wiki profile, he can be best described as an arrogant and petulant boy who belittles his fellow classmates at the school he attends. Needless to say he is not well liked for his behavior.
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Francis Butthurst Pope is a deuteragonist from the "Big Nate" comic book series and new 2022 Nickelodeon animated kid's show. Francis is considered Nate Wright's best friend despite Nate having another best friend, Teddy Ortiz. Francis is a bit of a nerdy geek according to his friends. He is also the electric guitarist for Nate's garage band, Enslave the Mollusk. A very intelligent boy, Francis excels in his academics at school.
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Popular for female characters in HK medical dramas.
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I find this spelling charming and peculiar. Maybe the bjork song has some influence over me but I quite like it and prefer it to 'Isabelle' or 'Isabella'.
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Did you mean to leave this comment under the name "Isobel", instead of "Francis"?
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My favorite forms are Frank for a boy and Francine for a girl.
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I love this as a boy's name. And I LOVE the association with Saint Francis of Assisi :).
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Absolutely hate it on a girl. Try Frances, Francesca, or Francisca. I don't like the name Frances either.
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I don't like it, but I personally think it is somewhat better for a boy.
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It's a bad guy's name in Deadpool. Don't like it.
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Julian Edelman’s middle name is Francis.
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It's funny that I knew a former uni classmate who went by this name! Lol, smart guy and good sense of humour.
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This is my middle name and I am a guy. Yes, it might appear soft to some ears, but overall I think it is a decent name on its own.
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Horrible on a girl, bad on a boy. I just don't like it at all.
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Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier was the captain of HMS Terror on Franklin's lost expedition of 1845. Crozier assumed command of the expedition following the death of Sir John Franklin in June 1847 (as recorded in a note recovered by the McClintock expedition in 1859), but, like everyone on the expedition, never made it home. Prior to the Franklin expedition, Crozier had fairly extensive experience as an explorer - he made three journeys to the Arctic under William Parry (two as a midshipman and one as a lieutenant), one to the Arctic under his close friend James Clark Ross (searching for 12 lost British whaling ships), and one to the Antarctic under James Clark Ross (where he commanded HMS Terror for the first time). He was portrayed by Jared Harris in the 2018 TV series The Terror.
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The combo Francis Charles sounds ROYAL.
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I like Francis, nickname Frank.
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I like Frances for a girl. Francis is okay on a boy.
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Good strong, dignified, masculine name. Makes me think of Sir Francis Drake. Frank is also a good simple, straightforward diminutive of the name.
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Francis is definitely a masculine name, Frances is the feminine version.
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Francis Wayland Thurston is the narrator of "The Call of Cthulhu", a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. He compiles a manuscript on Cthulhu and its cult based on an old newspaper entry and the papers of his great-uncle.
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This name is far from dated and will probably make a comeback in the near future as most names, that were once popular, often do.
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Seems kind of dated and I dislike this spelling for girls.
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Francis and other variations of this name have a personal appeal because they remind me of my late grandfather who, sadly, passed away this January at the ripe old age of ninety-eight. Anyway, I'm getting off topic here, Francis is a name that I have added to my list of possible baby names for a future son I may have.
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I really don't know why? But I have always kinda digged this name since I am a certified sucker for rare or barely used names. Francis definitely takes the cake in my opinion.
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I like this name a lot and it does have a nice sound to it. I personally don't see it as outdated, though granted, not exactly common nor fashionable. Still, it does have a history backing it so I guess this name is A-okay in my eyes.
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I dislike it. (kind of outdated)
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In the very last sentence of this entry, it is basically implied that it is only in the English-speaking world that Francis is used for girls:
"In the English-speaking world this name is occasionally used for girls." [noted -ed]
This is actually not the case! In the Dutch-speaking world, Francis is unisex, but much more commonly encountered on women than on men. In the Netherlands, that is - in Belgium, the name is more commonly seen on men than on women. The available statistics for the Netherlands kind of match my personal experience as well: I (a Dutchwoman) have never met a male Francis in my life, but I did have a female classmate named Francis when I was in secondary school back in the early 2000s.
For Dutch women, the name started out as a short form of Francisca, whilst for Dutch men, Francis began as a short form of Franciscus. It was what people went by in daily life because the name on their birth certificate (in this case Francisca or Franciscus) was too cumbersome or formal, which is typical for Dutch naming culture. The name Francis has since become used as an independent name on its own, so a male or female Francis in Belgium and the Netherlands today will no longer automatically have Franciscus or Francisca on their birth certificate.
The best known female Dutch bearer is probably the former professional darts player Francis Hoenselaar (b. 1965), whose birth name is of course Francisca:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Hoenselaar (in English)
For more information, please see:
- https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_(voornaam) (in Dutch; use DeepL Translator or Google Translate if necessary)
- prevalence of Francis on birth certificates in the Netherlands in 2014 (of all ages): http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/naam/is/Francis (in Dutch)
- prevalence of Francis on birth certificates in Belgium in 2009 (of all ages):
• boys/men: http://www.names.be/jongensnamen.html?met=Francis&sort=beldesc (in Dutch)
• girls/women: http://www.names.be/meisjesnamen.html?met=Francis&sort=beldesc (in Dutch)
- (general): https://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/?first=Francis&last=&search=Zoeken
• https://be.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Francis/+/be-0-Belgi%C3%AB (lists only bearers living in Belgium)
• https://nl.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Francis/+/nl-0-Nederland (lists only bearers living in the Netherlands)
- Belgium: https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3AFrancis%20%2Brecord_country%3ABelgium
- Netherlands: https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3AFrancis%20%2Brecord_country%3ANetherlands
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"In the English-speaking world this name is occasionally used for girls." [noted -ed]
This is actually not the case! In the Dutch-speaking world, Francis is unisex, but much more commonly encountered on women than on men. In the Netherlands, that is - in Belgium, the name is more commonly seen on men than on women. The available statistics for the Netherlands kind of match my personal experience as well: I (a Dutchwoman) have never met a male Francis in my life, but I did have a female classmate named Francis when I was in secondary school back in the early 2000s.
For Dutch women, the name started out as a short form of Francisca, whilst for Dutch men, Francis began as a short form of Franciscus. It was what people went by in daily life because the name on their birth certificate (in this case Francisca or Franciscus) was too cumbersome or formal, which is typical for Dutch naming culture. The name Francis has since become used as an independent name on its own, so a male or female Francis in Belgium and the Netherlands today will no longer automatically have Franciscus or Francisca on their birth certificate.
The best known female Dutch bearer is probably the former professional darts player Francis Hoenselaar (b. 1965), whose birth name is of course Francisca:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Hoenselaar (in English)
For more information, please see:
- https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_(voornaam) (in Dutch; use DeepL Translator or Google Translate if necessary)
- prevalence of Francis on birth certificates in the Netherlands in 2014 (of all ages): http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/naam/is/Francis (in Dutch)
- prevalence of Francis on birth certificates in Belgium in 2009 (of all ages):
• boys/men: http://www.names.be/jongensnamen.html?met=Francis&sort=beldesc (in Dutch)
• girls/women: http://www.names.be/meisjesnamen.html?met=Francis&sort=beldesc (in Dutch)
- (general): https://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/?first=Francis&last=&search=Zoeken
• https://be.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Francis/+/be-0-Belgi%C3%AB (lists only bearers living in Belgium)
• https://nl.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Francis/+/nl-0-Nederland (lists only bearers living in the Netherlands)
- Belgium: https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3AFrancis%20%2Brecord_country%3ABelgium
- Netherlands: https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3AFrancis%20%2Brecord_country%3ANetherlands
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Francis "Frank" Simcoe was the son of Toronto founding father John Graves Simcoe and one of our subway stations, Castle Frank, is named after him. Or rather the house that the Simcoes lived in was called Castle Frank and the station is named after the house. But still, it is named after him.
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Also the Latvian form of Franciscus: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/sakums/statistika/personvardu-datu-baze/?id=137&query=Francis.
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I personally think that Francis is not a very common name as it used to be here in the USA. I think Francis sounds very charming to my ears, but I do understand where some might show a reluctance on selecting this name for use on their future
progeny. It may appear feminine in sound and spelling to some while to others it is simply fine in its masculine category. To each their own. Have a pleasant day!
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progeny. It may appear feminine in sound and spelling to some while to others it is simply fine in its masculine category. To each their own. Have a pleasant day!
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In 2018, 84 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Francis* who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1, 524th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
*See Frances for the more common spelling for women.
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*See Frances for the more common spelling for women.
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In 2018, 59 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Francis who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 338th most common male first name for living U.S. citizens.
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Famous bearers include:
Francis was the oldest brother from the sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.”
The bully from “The Fairly Oddparents” was also named Francis.
The “Recess” character Hustler Kid’s real name was this as well.
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Francis was the oldest brother from the sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.”
The bully from “The Fairly Oddparents” was also named Francis.
The “Recess” character Hustler Kid’s real name was this as well.
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King Francis of France. He died of an ear infection. Married to Mary the Queen Of Scots for less than a year before he died.
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This name is okay for guys, but I dislike it for girls.
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Francis "Coyote" Shivers is a Canadian musician and actor. Shivers co-produced the first single for the band Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. The B-side to that single, "Having an Average Weekend," became the theme to the television show The Kids in the Hall. He also co-produced the band's first two albums.
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Francis Maxwell grew up in a small town named Clydebank, on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Francis juggled playing professional soccer whilst studying acting at Edinburgh College, from which he obtained a HNC qualification in the art. In 2010 he moved to Los Angeles after securing a place at Whittier College to study sociology and film, graduating in 2014, and since has gone on to pursue acting full time.
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Francis Magundayao is a Filipino actor and commercial model. He was first known as Iking in the series, Darna. He is also known for portraying young Travis in Sana Maulit Muli, Paco in the May Bukas Pa, Adrian in Aryana.
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As a (rather feminine!) boy whose name is Francis, I have to emphasize that Frances is the name for girls— only because that's the only way some people will even recognize I'm a guy, that I have the masculine version of the name!
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"Francis" is masculine, while "Frances" is feminine.
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The name Francis was given to 63 girls born in the US in 2015.
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My son's name is Francis and he is a very smart boy and a beautiful little guy. His great grandma and his grandma and his grandpa and his father are all named Francis. I love the name Francis.
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Nice name. I like the association with Francis Scott Key (to whom I'm apparently distantly related), but I don't think I'd use it on one of my kids if I ever have any. I still think it's a nice, strong name. Just not my cup of tea.
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The name of the French people in itself derives from the name of the Franks, a Germanic tribe who invaded Gaul and merged with the Gallo-Roman population. They had many different names and the name "Franks" was given to them by the Latin speaking inhabitants of Gaul, from "Francus", "free man" (Latin).
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Two prominent characters in Marvel Comics and adaptations have this as their middle name:
Charles Francis Xavier aka Professor X
Clinton Francis "Clint" Barton aka Hawkeye.
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Charles Francis Xavier aka Professor X
Clinton Francis "Clint" Barton aka Hawkeye.
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Frank Sinatra:) Francis Albert.
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In Latvia FRANCIS is a masculine name. Name day on 4th october.
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The full first name of the author and teacher Frank McCourt who wrote about his life growing up in Ireland, moving to America, and teaching in the NYC public school system. His three books are Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man.
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I agree with others that, by convention, "Francis" is male and "Frances" is female. I had a male friend named, "Francis," and he would quip, "Dot that 'i'," to emphasize his name was the masculine form.
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Gen. Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion was a famous officer in the Revolutionary War. For decades afterward — as evidenced in the U.S. censuses — many a young male was named Francis Marion. If you see a male named Francis M., you can bet the middle name is Marion.
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The name Francis is incredibly sexy, hot, classy, sophisticated, elegant, masculine and handsome for a guy! :D.
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Francis Underwood, usually called Frank, is the main character in the Netflix series "House of Cards", portrayed by Kevin Spacey. He is known to give monologues that break the fourth wall (where he speaks directly to the viewer) and for being a ruthless American politician willing to do anything to gain power.
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I like this name as an official legal name better than Frank, because it's a saint's name. Francis should be the full name, Frank the nickname.
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Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church.
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Only a lunatic would give this name to a girl...
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The name Francis was given to 43 baby girls born in the US in 2012. I prefer this spelling for a boy.
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Irish theatre actor Fra Fee is actually named Francis Fee.
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The new Pope, Francis I, was elected on March 13, 2013. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At his election he named himself after St. Francis of Assisi.
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Seems to me that people confuse Francis with France. In French, Francis is a masculine name. It is almost never used as a name for females. France (not spelled with an s) on the other hand is a unisex name used for both male and female.
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Francis (1481-1481) was the youngest son of Maximilian I (Holy Roman Emperor) and his wife Mary of Burgundy. He died in infancy.
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Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey (1781-1841) was an English sculptor.
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Francis Bird (1667-1731) was an English sculptor.
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Francis Barlow (1626-1704) was an English painter and draughtsman, mainly of animal subjects, known as 'the father of British sporting painting'.
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Meaning is also Free.
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I hadn't known before, but my grandpa's name is Francis and he was made fun of when he was little for having a "girl name" so he made people call him Frank.
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Francis is the name of an anime/manga character in the series Hetalia Axis Powers. He personifies the country France and his full name is Francis Bonnefoy.
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Francis York Morgan. Deadly Premonition's charming and charismatic FBI agent.
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Francis, from the game "Left 4 Dead." From now on, every time I hear the name Francis, I'll get the image of a badass biker, and I'm not saying that as a bad thing. :)
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The name Francis in Catalan is Francesc, and I think that you should include this variant in the list of Catalan names. [noted -ed]
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This is a family name for me, for both boys and girls. All the girls are called Frankie. I think it's a great name.
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Historically, the name of Ben Franklin's middle child, who died of smallpox at age four. Fictionally, the name used by the family of Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy in the TV show M*A*S*H (in other words, growing up, the chaplain went by the name Francis Mulcahy, even though his first name was John).
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I'm not a huge fan of the name Francis on either sex. But I think the nickname Frankie is cute on a girl.
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I know everyone says Francis is masculine and Frances is feminine, but I see Francis as being either. My Great-Grandmother was named Mary Francis, so for me Francis can go either way.
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Francis is the middle name of a really good friend of mine. I'm not a huge fan of the name Francis, and he absolutely hates his middle name, but I like the flow of it.
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Francis Gage, who hated his first name, was a Texas Ranger on the television show "Walker, Texas Ranger." He was played by Judson Mills, who also played Alexander "Hutch" Hutchinson on one of the soaps (I don't recall which).
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Francis is masculine, Frances and Francine are feminine. Keep this spelling for the boys.
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I find it very weird that there are females with this for a name. Just somehow not right to me. Ah well.
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Another famous saint that went by the name Franics was Saint Francis de Sales. He was a 16th century saint and bishop of Geneva.
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Francis sounds rather feminine to me. When I try to think of a guy named this all I can see is the Whiny little boy from Swiss Family Robinson. Sorry. :(
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It's more like a feminine name to me. I like it very much.
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Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" after the bombardment of Fort McHenry, during the war of 1812. The orinigal poem was changed into a song and was adopted as the American national anthem on March 3, 1931.
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The F. in RFK is Francis. Robert Francis Kennedy was a noted US politician, who served as Attorney General under his brother, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and would later serve the state of New York as senator from 1964 until 1968. Like his brother, he too fell to an assassin's bullet and died while running in the Democratic primary for President in 1968, mere moments after winning the key state of California.
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It's okay, I guess. I think Francis is the boy spelling and Frances is the girl spelling, personally.
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A famous Mexican drag queen makes him/herself be called "Francis".
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FRANCIS is a masculine name. The feminine form is FRANCES.
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Francis is one of Malcolm's brothers in the show Malcolm in the Middle.
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Francis Bean is Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain's daughter's name.
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Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love did not name their daughter 'Francis' - they named her Frances.
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The name Francis comes from the same word for 'French man' but this comes from the fact that 'France' was so called as being 'Free Land', therefore Francis in turn means 'Free Man'or 'The Free'.
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Francis Bacon, English philosopher and writer.
Francis Bacon, English painter born in Ireland.
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Francis Bacon, English painter born in Ireland.
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Francis Dolarhyde is a fictional character featured in Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon. He is a serial killer nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy".
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Francis is the birth name of Frank Sinatra.
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Francis Albert Sinatra. Ol' Blue Eyes was born today, December 12th, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. His unfortunate death was May 14th, 1998, due to some different health problems. "That's Life." His legacy and love will forever live on.
Happy Birthday, Frank.
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Happy Birthday, Frank.
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Francis is the F. in the author F. Scott Fitzgerald's name.
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Film director Francis Ford Coppola is a famous bearer of this name.
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One famous bearer of this name is Francis the Mule, star of several films in the 50s. The creator of the concept of Francis the Mule went on to create, unsurprisingly, the TV show Mr. Ed.
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Brooke Shields used it as a middle name for her daughter, Rowan Francis. She named her after her father Francis Alexander Shields "Frank", who died shortly before Rowan was born.
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Since this name means Frenchman, it can be traced back to mean free. France is named after the Franks, which means free in the Frankish language.
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