Francena
A feminine name of French origin meaning "free" or "Frenchwoman".
Name Census estimates that about 246 living Americans carry the first name Francena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Francena today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Francena births was 1948 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Francena. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Francena is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Francenas were born before 1963.
People living today
246
~ 1 in 1,393,310 Americans
Peak year
1948
23 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1976 SSA rank
#7,550
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Francena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Francena from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 151 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Francena 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 Francena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Francenas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Francena
The name Francena has its origins in the Late Latin language, derived from the name Francisca, which was a feminine form of the masculine name Franciscus. Franciscus itself was derived from the Latin adjective "Francus," meaning "Frankish" or "French."
The earliest recorded use of the name Francena dates back to the 12th century, and it was particularly popular in medieval France and Italy. The name was likely adopted as a way to honor St. Francis of Assisi, the renowned Italian friar and preacher who lived from 1181 to 1226.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Francena was Francena de Foix, a French noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was a member of the prestigious House of Foix and played a significant role in the political affairs of the region during that time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Francena was Francena Sternberg, an Italian painter and engraver who lived from 1677 to 1749. She was known for her religious paintings and her work as an engraver, and her art can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, Francena Frisbie (1825-1901) was an American educator and writer. She was a pioneer in the field of women's education and founded several schools for girls in Connecticut.
Francena Arnold (1838-1914) was an American poet and writer from New York. She published several volumes of poetry, including "The Drift of Song" and "Sea-Drift and Other Poems," and her work often explored themes of nature and spirituality.
Francena Noel (1909-1990) was a Canadian writer and journalist known for her work in promoting Canadian literature. She was a founding member of the Writers' Union of Canada and played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of Canadian authors.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Francena, which has its roots in the Late Latin language and has been associated with various artistic, literary, and educational pursuits over the centuries.
People
Francena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Francena 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
Francena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Francena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 246 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Francena 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 1,393,310 US residents.
Is Francena a common name?
We classify Francena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 623 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Francena most popular?
The single biggest year for Francena was 1948, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Francena is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Francena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Francena 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.