Total births
290,490
Unisex name · since 1880
Francis
290,490 babies named Francis in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #450
- among boys today
- 290,490
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Francis currently ranks #450 among unisex names in America, with 290,490 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Francis has been recorded 290,490 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #450 nationally and more common than 97% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #450 among boys today
- 290,490 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Francis is currently the #450 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 290,490 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #450
- among boys today
- 290,490
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Francis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#450
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Francis was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
6,347 babies were named Francis in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Francis compares
290,490 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Francis's all-time total is 792x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Francis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 290,490 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,347 | 23 | 22,252 |
Francis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Francis's full recorded timeline at 1953, 28% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 72% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 259 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 6,347 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Francis at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#450
Active since
1880
Francis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 6,347
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Francis popularity over time - girls
29,832 total births recorded since 1880 (Francis as girls' name)
Francis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Francis's strongest decade.
59,096 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Francis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,244
1880s
3,244 births
- 1890s 4,535
1890s
4,535 births
- 1900s 7,021
1900s
7,021 births
- 1910s
1910s
41,053 births
- 1920s
1920s
59,096 births
- 1930s
1930s
41,384 births
- 1940s
1940s
39,519 births
- 1950s
1950s
34,766 births
- 1960s 19,334
1960s
19,334 births
- 1970s 10,012
1970s
10,012 births
- 1980s 9,412
1980s
9,412 births
- 1990s 7,079
1990s
7,079 births
- 2000s 4,533
2000s
4,533 births
- 2010s 5,444
2010s
5,444 births
- 2020s 4,058
2020s
4,058 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 59,096 births (20% of all-time use).
How Francis compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Francis's total volume
Francis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Francis by state
Where Francis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 43,431 | 15.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 42,017 | 14.5% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 28,922 | 10.0% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 14,046 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 12,281 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 9,131 | 3.1% |
| #7 | California | | 8,803 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 8,681 | 3.0% |
Pennsylvania share of Francis's total US births 15.0%
Even split
43,431 of 290,490 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Francis appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Francis? ▼
290,490 babies have been named Francis since 1880. It currently ranks #450 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 6,347 births.
When was Francis most popular? ▼
Francis was most popular in the 1920s decade with 59,096 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Francis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Francis are Pennsylvania (43,431 births), New York (42,017 births), Massachusetts (28,922 births).
Is Francis a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Francis is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 290,490 births, and as a girl's name it has 29,832 births.
How long has the name Francis been used? ▼
Records for Francis go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Francis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Frank, Francisco, Franklin, Frankie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Francis's data
- Francis's decade-level peak was the 1920s (59,096 total births); usage has since declined to 4,058 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Franciss (43,431 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Francis
Nearby Names Like Francis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Francis
Frank Boy
#468 915,978 births
Francisco Boy
#306 142,192 births
Franklin Boy
#388 141,728 births
Frankie Boy
#1108 42,268 births
Franco Boy
#745 9,107 births
Compare Francis side by side: Francis vs Frank Francis vs Francisco Francis vs Franklin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Francis
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Francis: #450 Unisex Name - 290,490 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/francis. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Francis draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.