Franciscus is a Latin given name, originally an epithet meaning "the
Frank, the
Frenchman".
It was applied to Saint
Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...
(1181/82–1226).
Francis had been baptized Giovanni (John); his father was
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
and his mother
Provençale (
at the time not considered
French); his father was on business in France when he was born, and when he returned to Assisi, he began to call his son by the nickname ''Francesco'', in the opinion of
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English author, philosopher, Christian apologist, journalist and magazine editor, and literary and art critic.
Chesterton created the fictional priest-detective Father Brow ...
possibly because out of a general enthusiasm for all things French, or because of his commercial success in France.
[Chesterton, Gilbert Keith (1924). "St. Francis of Assisi" (14 ed.). Garden City, New York: Image Books. p. 158.]
After the canonization of
Saint Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he ...
in 1228, the custom of naming children after saints led to the popularization of ''Franciscus'' as a given name. In the vernaculars of western Europe, the name diversified into the forms
Francesco
Francesco, the Italian language, Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis (given name), Francis", is one of the List of most popular given names, most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name inclu ...
(Italian),
Francisco
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''.
Meaning of the name Francisco
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco (name), Paco". Francis of Assisi, San Francisco de A ...
(Spanish and Portuguese),
Francesc Francesc () is a masculine given name of Catalan origin. It is a cognate of Francis, Francesco, Francisco, François, and Franz. People with the name include:
*Cesc Fàbregas (Francesc Fàbregas i Soler) (born 1987), Spanish professional football ...
(Catalan),
François
François () is a French language, French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis (given name), Francis.
People with the given name
* François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter
* Voltaire, Fran ...
(
Old French
Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th Francis
Francis may refer to:
People and characters
*Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025)
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Francis (surname)
* Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...
), Franz (German, whence Hungarian Franz (given name)">Franz (German, whence Hungarian Ferenc, Scandinavian and Dutch Frans (disambiguation)">Frans
Frans is an Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish given name, sometimes as a short form of '' François'' or '' Franciscus''. One cognate of Frans in English is '' Francis''.
Given name
* Frans van Aarssens (1572� ...
); besides ''Frans'', the Latin form remains commonly given in Dutch-speaking world">Dutch.
''Franciscus'' may serve as the latinization of any of these given names; conversely, ''Francis'' may serve as the anglicization of anyone called ''Franciscus''.
People called Franciscus include:
As a chosen name
*Pope Franciscus (1936-2025, papal name chosen in 2013 by Jorge Mario Bergoglio)
As a Latinized name
*Franciscus Assisiensis (1181/2–1226), Saint Francis of Assisi
*Franciscus Accursius (''Francesco d'Accorso''; 1225–1293), Italian lawyer
*
Franciscus de Mayronis
Francis of Meyronnes (also Franciscus de Mayronis; c. 1280–1328) was a French scholastic philosopher. He was a distinguished pupil of Duns Scotus, whose teaching (Scotism) he usually followed.
He acquired a great reputation for ability in disc ...
(''François de Meyronnes''; c.1280–1328), French scholastic philosopher
*
Franciscus de Marchia
Francis of Marchia (c. 1290 - after 1344) was an Italian Franciscan theologian and philosopher. He was an ally of William of Ockham and Michael of Cesena, and opponent of Pope John XXII, in the struggles of the Franciscan Spirituals, leading to hi ...
(''Francesco della Marca''; c.1290–c.1344), Italian Franciscan theologian and philosopher
*
Franciscus de Florentia
Francesco Landini ( or 1335 – 2 September 1397; also known by many names) was a Florentine composer, poet, organist, singer and instrument maker, and a central figure of the music of the Trecento in the Italian peninsula.
Name
Frances ...
(''Francesco Landini''; c.1330–1397), Italian composer, organist, singer, poet and instrument maker
*
Franciscus Monachus
Franciscus Monachus, (c. 1490 – 1565) was born Frans Smunck in Mechelen (or Malines) in the Duchy of Brabant (in modern-day Belgium). His Latinisation of names, Latinised name, adopted when he matriculated at the Old University of Louvain, Unive ...
(''Frans Smunck''; c.1490–1565), Brabantian cartographer
*
Franciscus Irenicus (''Franz Friedlieb''; 1494–1553), German humanist and historian
*
Franciscus Bossinensis Franciscus Bossinensis (''fl.'' 1509 – 1511) ( Francis the Bosnian) was a lutenist-composer active in Italy in the 16th century.
Bojan Bujić, "Navigating through the Past": Issues Facing an Historian of Music in Bosnia, ''International Review o ...
(fl. 1509–1511), possibly Bosnian lutenist-composer working in Venice
*
Franciscus Stancarus (''Francesco Stancaro''; 1501–1574), Italian Catholic priest, theologian, and Protestant convert
*
Franciscus Titelmannus (''Frans Titelmans''; 1502–1537), Flemish Franciscan scholar
*
Franciscus Sonnius (''Frans van de Velde''; 1507–1576), Dutch theologian and bishop
*
Franciscus Duarenus (''François Douaren''; 1509–1559), French jurist and professor of law
*
Franciscus Portus (''Φραγκίσκος Πόρτος''; 1511–1581), Greek-Italian Renaissance humanist and classical scholar.
*
Franciscus Dryander (''Francisco de Enzinas''; 1518–1552), Spanish classical scholar, translator and Protestant apologist
*
Franciscus Londariti (''Φραγκίσκος Λεονταρίτης''; 1518–1572), Crete-born Venetian composer
*
Franciscus Balduinus (''François Baudouin''; 1520–1573), French jurist, Christian controversialist and historian
*
Franciscus Patricius
Franciscus Patricius (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Franjo Petriš'' or ''Frane Petrić''; Italian language, Italian: ''Francesco Patrizi''; 25 April 1529 – 6 February 1597) was a philosopher and scientist from the Republic of Venice, orig ...
(''Francesco Patrizi''; 1529–1597), Venetian philosopher
*
Franciscus Costerus (''Frans de Costere''; 1532–1619), Brabantian Jesuit, theologian and author
*
Franciscus Barocius (''Francesco Barozzi''; 1537–1604), Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist
*
Franciscus Raphelengius
Frans van Ravelingen Latinized Franciscus Raphelengius (February 27, 1539 – July 20, 1597), was a Flemish-born scholar, printer and publisher, working in Antwerp and later in Leiden. During the last decade of his life he was professor of He ...
(''Frans van Ravelingen''; 1539–1597), Flemish-born Dutch scholar, printer and bookseller
*
Franciscus Vieta
Franciscus is a Latin given name, originally an epithet meaning "the Frank, the Frenchman".
It was applied to Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226).
Francis had been baptized Giovanni (John); his father was Italian and his mother Prove ...
(''François Viète''; 1540–1603), French mathematician
*
Franciscus Junius (the elder)
Franciscus Junius the Elder (born François du Jon, 1 May 1545 – 23 October 1602) was a Reformed scholar, Protestant reformer and theologian. Born in Bourges in central France, he initially studied law, but later decided to study theology ...
(''François du Jon''; 1545–1602), Huguenot scholar and theologian
*
Franciscus Haraeus (''Frans Verhaer''; 1555–1631), Netherlandish theologian, historian, and cartographer
*
Franciscus Gomarus
Franciscus Gomarus (François Gomaer; 30 January 1563 – 11 January 1641) was a Dutch theologian, a strict Calvinist and an opponent of the teaching of Jacobus Arminius (and his followers), whose theological disputes were addressed at the Synod ...
(''François Gomaer''; 1563–1641), Dutch theologian
*
Franciscus Aguilonius (''François d'Aguilon''; 1567–1617), Belgian Jesuit mathematician, physicist and architect
*
Franciscus Dousa (''Frans van der Does''; 1577–1630), Dutch classical scholar
*
Franciscus Quaresmius (''Francisco Quaresmio''; 1583–1650), Italian writer and Orientalist
*
Franciscus Burgersdicius (''Franck Burgersdijk''; 1590–1635), Dutch logician
*
Franciscus Junius (the younger)
Franciscus Junius (29 January 1591 – 1677), also known as François du Jon, was a pioneer of Germanic philology. As a collector of ancient manuscripts, he published the first modern editions of a number of important texts. In addition, he wro ...
(1591–1677), Huguenot philologist and art historian
*
Franciscus Linus (''Francis Line''; 1595–1675), English-born Jesuit priest and scientist
*
Franciscus Blancus (''Frang Bardhi''; 1606–1643), Albanian bishop and author
*
Franciscus Sylvius
Franciscus Sylvius (, ; born Franz de le Boë; 15 March 1614 – 19 November 1672) was a Dutch physician and scientist (chemist, physiologist and anatomist) who was an early champion of Descartes', Van Helmont's and William Harvey's work ...
(''Franz de le Boë'' 1614–1672), Dutch physician and scientist
*
Franciscus Bonae Spei (''François Crespin''; 1617–1677), Belgian Catholic scholastic philosopher
*
Franciscus a Mesgnien Meninski
Franciscus à Mesgnien Meninski (first name spelled also Francisci, François and Franciszek) (1623–1698) was the author of a multi-volume Turkish-to-Latin dictionary and grammar of the Turkish language, first published in 1680, which was ground ...
(''François Mesgnien''; 1623–1698) French-born Turkologist and Ottoman historian
As a given name
*
Franciscus van den Enden (1602–1674), Flemish poet, physician, art dealer, philosopher, and teacher of Spinoza
*
Franciscus de Neve (I) (1606–1681), Flemish history, landscape and portrait painter
*
Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont
Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont (baptised 20 October 1614 – December 1698) was a Flemish alchemist and writer, the son of Jan Baptist van Helmont. He is now best known for his publication in the 1640s of his father's pioneer works on chemistry ...
(1614–1698), Flemish alchemist and writer
*
Franciscus "Frans" van Schooten (1615–1660), Dutch mathematician
*
Franciscus van der Steen (c.1625–1672), Flemish painter and engraver
*
Franciscus Carré (c.1630–1669), Dutch painter and draftsman
*
Franciscus de Neve (II) (1632–aft.1704), Flemish painter and engraver
*
Franciscus "Frans" Kiggelaer (1648–1722), Dutch botanist and apothecary
*
Franciscus Gijsbrechts (1649–aft.1677), Flemish Baroque painter
*
Franciscus Andreas Durlet (1816–1867), Belgian architect, sculptor and printmaker
*
Franciscus Cornelis "Franz" Donders (1818–1889), Dutch ophthalmologist
*
Franciscus Kenninck (1859–1937), Dutch Old Catholic Archbishop
*
Franciscus G.J. "Frans" van Lith (1863–1926), Dutch Jesuit missionary on Java
*
Franciscus Hermanus Bach (1865–1956), Dutch painter
*
Franciscus Hubertus "Frans" Schraven (1873–1937), Dutch Catholic Bishop who acted as missionary in China
*
Franciscus C.M. "Frans" Wijffels (1899–1968), Dutch Minister of Social Affairs
*
Franciscus Bernardus Jacobus Kuiper (1907–2003), Dutch Indologist
*
Franciscus Xaverius "Frans" Seda (1926–2009), Indonesian finance minister
*
Franciscus Xaverius Rocharjanta Prajasuta (1931–2015), Indonesian Roman Catholic bishop and composer
*
Franciscus Jozef "Frans" Brüggen (1934–2014), Dutch conductor, recorder player and baroque flautist
*
Franciscus J.M. "Frans" Wiertz (born 1942), Dutch Roman Catholic bishop
*
Franciscus J. "Frans" Luitjes (1944–1965), Dutch sprinter
*
Franciscus Wilhelmus Maria Broers (1944–2013), Dutch writer using the pseudonym ''Jacq Firmin Vogelaar''
*
Franciscus Henri
Franciscus Henricus Antheunis, professionally known as Franciscus Henri (born 7 August 1947, in The Hague, Netherlands, The Netherlands), is a musician and children's entertainer. He has dual Netherlands, Dutch and Australian nationality. In 197 ...
(born 1947), Dutch-Australian musician
*
Franciscus B.M. "Frans" de Waal (born 1948), Dutch primatologist and ethologist
*
Franciscus Adrianus "Frans" van Vught (born 1950), Dutch social scientist
*
Franciscus H.G. "Frank" de Grave (born 1955), Dutch Minister of Defence
*
Franciscus C.G.M. "Frans" Timmermans (born 1961), Dutch politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign affairs
*
Franciscus A.A.J. "Frans" Maasen (born 1965), Dutch cyclist and directeur sportif
*
Franciscus "Frank" de Boer (born 1970), Dutch football player and manager
As a surname
*Hoke L. Franciscus, electronics
researcher
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
*
James Franciscus
James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: ''Mr. Novak'', ''Naked City (TV series), Naked City'', ''The Investigators (1961 TV series), T ...
(1934–1991), American actor
*
Steve Franciscus (born 1982), Papua New Guinean rugby player
References
{{Given name, type=both, cat1=Latin masculine given names
Dutch masculine given names
Masculine given names