Francella
Feminine form of the name Francis, of Latin origin meaning "free person".
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the first name Francella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Francella today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Francella births was 1955 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Francella. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
167
~ 1 in 2,052,421 Americans
Peak year
1955
13 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,581
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Francella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Francella from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 75 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Francella by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Francella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Francellas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Francella
Francella is a feminine given name of Italian origin, derived from the Latin Franciscus, which means "Frenchman" or "free man." The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was commonly used in Italy and other parts of Europe.
The name is closely associated with St. Francis of Assisi, the revered Italian friar and preacher who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries. St. Francis was known for his love of nature, poverty, and simplicity, and his teachings had a profound impact on the Catholic Church and Western civilization.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Francella can be found in the Florentine Republic during the 14th century. Francella di Piero Capponi was a notable figure in Florentine society, known for her philanthropic work and support of the arts.
In the 15th century, Francella Buonaparte, an Italian noblewoman from the famous Buonaparte family, was a prominent figure in the city of Ajaccio, Corsica. Her descendants would later include the legendary French military leader and emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Another notable figure was Francella Vitelli, a 16th-century Italian countess and patron of the arts. She was known for her generous support of artists and writers, and her court in Città di Castello was a center of cultural and intellectual activity.
In the 17th century, Francella Crivelli was an Italian painter and printmaker active in Milan. She was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve recognition and success, and her works can be found in various museums and private collections.
Francella de Alzaga was a 19th-century Argentine socialite and philanthropist, known for her influential role in Buenos Aires society and her charitable work. She was instrumental in establishing several hospitals and educational institutions in the city.
Throughout history, the name Francella has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, artists, philanthropists, and intellectuals. While not as widely used as some other feminine names, it has endured as a beautiful and meaningful name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Francella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Francella as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Francella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Francella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 167 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Francella going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,052,421 US residents.
Is Francella a common name?
We classify Francella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 357 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Francella most popular?
The single biggest year for Francella was 1955, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Francella is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Francella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Francella in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.