Francis is a distinctive choice, ranked #193 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Francis in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#193
US Rank #420
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About the Name Francis
Francis has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 126 places in five years. It was most popular in 1998 at #191 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Francis is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Francis in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #450, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Francis
Don Francis — Donald Pinkston Francis is an American physician and epidemiologist who worked on the Ebola outbreak in Africa in the late 1970s, and as an HIV/AIDS researcher.
Bev Francis — Beverley "Bev" Francis is an Australian gym owner and retired professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and national shot put champion.
Francis of Assisi — Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Francis
Unlikely. With around 262 UK babies named Francis per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Francis in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Francis has been fairly steady, ranked #193 in 2025 against #216 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #188 in 1996.
Francis is more popular in the US (#450) than in the UK (#2575). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Francis include: Don Francis, Bev Francis and Francis Drake. Short summaries for each appear below.
Francis appears in the US top 500 at #450 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
262
UK babies named Francis (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.6
In a school of 600
↑ 23 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Francis
Almost certainly the only Francis in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Francis
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Donald Pinkston Francis is an American physician and epidemiologist who worked on the Ebola outbreak in Africa in the late 1970s, and as an HIV/AIDS researcher.
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans.
Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer and privateer best known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (being the first English expedition to accomplish this).
Brigadier General Francis Marion, also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.