Frances en · PROPN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈfɹɑːnsɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈfɹænsɪz/ (UK, US)
Etymology
From Old French Franceise, feminine form of Franceis, from Late Latin Franciscus (“Frankish”). Doublet of Francesca and Francisca.
Meanings
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A female given name from Latin, masculine equivalent Francis.
My other sisters had interesting names. There was Francie, that was Frances, and though she wore slacks and my father seemed angry with her, I thought she was some relation to Saint Francis, who, I believed, kept animals in his pocket and took them out and licked them, the way Francie licked a blackball or acid drop, for pure love.
1961, Janet Frame, Owls Do Cry, →ISBN, page 97:"My name is Frances. Don't call me Fanny!" "Why not?" "Because it's too absurd to be endured! What does the mere sound of Fanny suggest? A flirting dancing creature - plump and fair, and playful and pretty! - - - Call me Frances - a man's name, with only the difference between an i and an e. No sentiment in it, hard, like me."
1883, Wilkie Collins, Heart and Science, Chatto and Windus, page 227:The DSA became a legislative priority for the European Commission after the 2021 Facebook leak, when whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed Facebook and its parent company Meta knowingly prioritized profit over addressing rampant disinformation and racist hate speech on the platform.
2023 May 27, Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, “Elon Musk pulled Twitter from the EU's anti-disinformation agreement and continues to troll with alt-right memes and dogwhistles. It could be a sign he'll close the site to Europe completely”, in Business Insider, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2023:Armado. Sirrah Costard, I will enfranchise thee. Costard. O! marry me to one Frances: I smell some l'envoy, some goose, in this.
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
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(rare) A male given name, variant of Francis.
The highly anticipated all-American matchup between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe — marking the first US Open semifinals between two US men in nearly 20 years — will cost you quite a few Honey Deuces to attend.
2024 September 6, Jordan Valinsky, “Ticket prices for the all-American men’s matchup at the US Open are surging”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 23 May 2025:
- An unincorporated community in Johnson County, Indiana, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Crittenden County, Kentucky, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Pacific County, Washington, United States.
- A town in south-east South Australia, on the border with Victoria.
Deriveds
Relateds
Francesca · Francine · Frannie (pet forms) · Francie (pet forms) · Fannie (pet forms) · Fran (pet forms) · Fanny (pet forms) · Franny (pet forms) · France
Translations (27)
gv Frangaid (feminine form of Francis) · bg Франци́ска (feminine form of Francis) · da Francisca (feminine form of Francis) · ga Proinséas (feminine form of Francis) · pt Francisca (feminine form of Francis) · it Francesca (feminine form of Francis) · sk Františka (feminine form of Francis) · ru Франци́ска (feminine form of Francis) · ja フランシス (feminine form of Francis) · bg Фра́нсис (feminine form of Francis) · ru Фра́нсис (feminine form of Francis) · ru Фрэ́нсис (feminine form of Francis) · pl Franciszka (feminine form of Francis) · hu Franciska (feminine form of Francis) · ru Франче́ска (feminine form of Francis) · ru Фра́нсес (feminine form of Francis) · ca Francesca (feminine form of Francis) · oc Francesa (feminine form of Francis) · fr Françoise (feminine form of Francis) · eo Franciska (feminine form of Francis) · de Franziska (feminine form of Francis) · ru Франсуа́за (feminine form of Francis) · es Francisca (feminine form of Francis) · bg Франче́ска (feminine form of Francis) · cs Františka (feminine form of Francis) · cmn 弗朗西絲 /弗朗西丝 (feminine form of Francis) · nl Fransje (feminine form of Francis)