Find out how popular the first name Francois has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Francois by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Francois is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Francois being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 12 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Francois.

The history of the first name Francois

The given name Francois is a French masculine name derived from the Germanic name Franko, which means "free" or "frank". It has its origins in the Frankish people, a group of Germanic tribes that settled in the region that is now France during the 5th century AD.

The Franks played a significant role in the history of Europe, founding the Frankish Empire, which eventually became the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne. The name Francois became popular in France during the Middle Ages and was commonly used by members of the French nobility and royalty.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Francois can be found in the 12th century with the birth of Francois I, Duke of Brittany (1141-1188). Another notable figure was Francois Villon (1431-1463), a French poet who is considered one of the greatest representatives of medieval French literature.

During the Renaissance, the name Francois became closely associated with the French monarchy. Francois I (1494-1547) was the first king of France from the House of Valois and is remembered for his patronage of the arts and his role in the Italian Wars against the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 17th century, Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) was a French writer and moralist best known for his collection of maxims and memoirs. Another influential figure was Francois Rabelais (1494-1553), a French Renaissance writer, philosopher, and humanist known for his satirical novel "Gargantua and Pantagruel".

The 18th century saw the rise of Francois-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire (1694-1778), a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, and historian who was a prominent figure in the Age of Enlightenment and played a significant role in the French Revolution.

In the 20th century, Francois Mitterrand (1916-1996) was a prominent French politician who served as the President of France from 1981 to 1995. Francois Truffaut (1932-1984) was a renowned French film director and one of the founders of the French New Wave movement in cinema.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Francois was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Francois, please contact us.

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