Frances

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Frances

Gender: Feminine
Language: French
Etymology:
Frances is the feminine form of Francis. It originally comes from the Franks, a Germanic tribe in Western Europe with a name which meant “free.” Their name gave rise to the word and surname Franklin, or “freeman.” The Franks eventually settled in what is now called France. In England (about 1200), Francis arose as a nickname for a Frenchman

History:
Francesca (in Italy), and Françoise (in France) first appeared during the late 1200s. The English equivalent, Frances (also spelled Francis in the early years) first appeared with a girl named Frances Cockayne (born 1490) and a niece of King Henry VIII named Lady Francis Brandon (1517-1559). The spelling was standardized during the 17th century (Frances given to females, and Francis to males).
The nickname Fanny first appeared in the early 18th century.

Pronunciation: FRAN-sess.

Diminutives:
Breton: Seza, Sezaic.
English: Fannie, Fanny, Fran, France, Frannie, Franny, Frankie.
French: Francine, Francette.
Spanish: Chica, Chita, Cisca, Curra, Frasca, Paca, Pancha, Paquita, Quica.

Alternates: Francene, Francine, Fraunces, Francis.
Breton: Franseza.
French: Françoise, France.
German: Franziska.
Hungarian: Fereng, Ferike, Franciska.
Italian: Francesca, Franchesca, Francheska, Fransheska.
Spanish: Francisca.

Masculine: Francis, Frank.

See also: Fannie, Fanny, Francine, Francisca.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Françoise Prévost (1680-1741)
French ballerina.
Frances “Fanny” Burney (1752-1840)
English author.
Frances Miriam Berry Whitcher (1811-1852)
American writer.
Francesca “Fanny” Cerrito (1817-1909)
Italian ballerina.
Francesca Alexander (Esther Frances Alexander) (1837-1917)
American author.
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)
American writer.
Frances Cornford (1886-1960)
English poet.
Françoise Mallet-Joris (1930-)
Belgian author.
Françoise Sagan (1935-)
French novelist.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Frances Wright (1795-1852)
Scottish-American social reformer.
Frances Dana Barker Gage (1808-1884)
American social reformer.
Frances E.W. Harper (1825-1911)
American social reformer.
Frances Auretta Fuller Victor (1826-1902)
American historian.
Frances Buss (1827-1894)
English educator.
Frances Willard (1839-1898)
American educator.
Frances Densmore (1867-1957)
American ethnologist.

Miscellaneous:
Francesca Da Rimini (?-1283)
Italian woman killed for having an affair with her husband’s brother.
Frances Lear (1923-1996)
American feminist and publisher.

Places:
Fort Frances
Ontario, Canada

Political Figures:
Frances Perkins (1882-1965)
American Secretary of Labor.

Religious Figures:
Saint Frances of Rome (1384-1440)
Founder of the Oblates of St. Frances of Rome.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (Maria Francesca Cabrini) (1850-1917)
Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. First American to be canonized.

Royalty:
Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Mainenon (1635-1719)
Second wife of King Louis XIV of France.
Françoise-Athénaïs de Roche-chouart, Marquise de Montespan (1641-1707)
Mistress of King Louis XIV of France.
Frances Teresa Stuart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (1647-1702)
Mistress of King Charles II of Great Britain.

Singers and Entertainers:
Francesca Cuzzoni (1698-1770)
Italian soprano.
Frances Ann Deny Drake (1797-1875)
American actress.
Frances Marion (1887-1973)
American filmmaker.
Frances Rose “Dinah” Shore (1917-1994)
American singer.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.370 % named Frances
0.050 % named Fannie
0.039 % named Francis
0.025 % named Francine
0.024 % named Francisca
0.022 % named Frankie
0.011 % named Fran
0.009 % named Fanny
0.009 % named Francesca
0.002 % named France
0.002 % named Françoise
0.001 % named Francene

Popularity of Frances:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 52nd most popular.
1850: 50th most popular.
1875: 76th most popular.
1900-1910: 16th most popular.
1908: 9th most popular.
1910-1920: 9th most popular.
1912: 8th most popular.
1916: 8th most popular.
1917: 7th most popular.
1918: 6th most popular.
1919: 9th most popular.
1920-1930: 11th most popular.
1922: 7th most popular.
1923: 9th most popular.
1924: 8th most popular.
1930-1940: 19th most popular.
1940-1950: 35th most popular.
1950-1960: 88th most popular.
1960-1970: 151st most popular.
1970-1980: 211th most popular.
1980-1990: 261st most popular.
1990: 314th most popular.
1991: 333rd most popular.
1992: 342nd most popular.
1993: 341st most popular.
1994: 352nd most popular.
1995: 398th most popular.
1996: 412th most popular.
1997: 413th most popular.
1998: 416th most popular.
1999: 484th most popular.
2000: 521st most popular.
2001: 544th most popular.
2002: 580th most popular.
2003: 579th most popular.

Popularity of Francis, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 63rd most popular.
1850: 44th most popular.
1990: 65th most popular.
1900-1910: 328th most popular.
1910-1920: 267th most popular.
1920-1930: 248th most popular.
1930-1940: 351st most popular.
1940-1950: 473rd most popular.
1950-1960: 619th most popular.
1960-1970: 755th most popular.
1970-1980: 902nd most popular.
1980-1990: 839th most popular.
1990: N/A
1991: 993rd most popular.
1992: N/A

Popularity of Fran:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1940: N/A
1940-1950: 817th most popular.
1950-1960: 778th most popular.
1960-1970: 892nd most popular.
1970-2000: N/A

Popularity of Francesca:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 899th most popular.
1910-1960: N/A
1960-1970: 971st most popular.
1970-1980: 808th most popular.
1980-1990: 492nd most popular.
1990: 456th most popular.
1991: 439th most popular.
1992: 374th most popular.
1993: 404th most popular.
1994: 370th most popular.
1995: 354th most popular.
1996: 351st most popular.
1997: 357th most popular.
1998: 381st most popular.
1999: 380th most popular.
2000: 401st most popular.
2001: 394th most popular.
2002: 406th most popular.
2003: 420th most popular.

Popularity of Francheska:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1990: N/A
1990: 643rd most popular.
1991: 569th most popular.
1992: 809th most popular.
1993: N/A

Popularity of Franchesca:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1990: N/A
1990: 968th most popular.
1991: N/A

Popularity of Frankie, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 384th most popular.
1910-1920: 326th most popular.
1920-1930: 300th most popular.
1930-1940: 282nd most popular.
1940-1950: 318th most popular.
1950-1960: 488th most popular.
1960-1970: 640th most popular.
1970-2000: N/A

Popularity of Françoise:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900: 40th most popular.
1910: 44th most popular.
1920: 45th most popular.
1930: 34th most popular.
1940: 5th most popular.
1950: 3rd most popular.
1960: 9th most popular.
1970: 36th most popular.
1980: 163rd most popular.
1982: 189th most popular.
1990-2000: N/A

Popularity of France:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900: 166th most popular.
1910: 169th most popular.
1920: 109th most popular.
1930: 121st most popular.
1940: 68th most popular.
1950: 148th most popular.
1960: 181st most popular.
1970: 175th most popular.
1971: 161st most popular.
1980-2000: N/A

Popularity of Francette:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900-1930: N/A
1934: 182nd most popular.
1940: 137th most popular
1950: 143rd most popular.
1957: 198th most popular.
1960-2000: N/A