Francis
Girl name · #1684 in 2025 · Rare
Francis ranks #1684 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 122 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2736, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,754 girls born in 2025 was named Francis.
The 145-year story
Francis first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 55 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1919, when 673 girls were named Francis — good for #247 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Francis per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Francis against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Francis in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Francis is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Francis will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Francis is most common
State-level data for Francis is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Francis
Statistically, parents drawn to Francis tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Elvira, Geneva, Gladys, Fannie, and Eunice.
ElviraGenevaGladysFannieEuniceClariceDorcasJosefina
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Francis | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #1684 |
| 2024 | 92 | #2080 |
| 2023 | 98 | #2002 |
| 2022 | 69 | #2554 |
| 2021 | 88 | #2131 |
| 2020 | 78 | #2277 |
| 2019 | 90 | #2090 |
| 2018 | 75 | #2404 |
| 2017 | 78 | #2338 |
| 2016 | 81 | #2321 |
| 2015 | 64 | #2736 |
| 2014 | 64 | #2714 |
| 2013 | 58 | #2903 |
| 2012 | 44 | #3583 |
| 2011 | 52 | #3173 |
| 2010 | 45 | #3516 |
| 2009 | 54 | #3126 |
| 2008 | 72 | #2584 |
| 2007 | 76 | #2457 |
| 2006 | 61 | #2850 |
| 2005 | 64 | #2636 |
| 2004 | 71 | #2396 |
| 2003 | 83 | #2106 |
| 2002 | 98 | #1821 |
| 2001 | 94 | #1861 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Francis a popular girl name?
Francis ranked #1684 among girls in 2025 with 122 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2736.
When was the name Francis most popular?
Francis peaked in 1919, when 673 American girls received the name (ranked #247 that year). Since 1919 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Francis?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,754 newborn American girls was named Francis. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.