Paco is a Spanish nickname for
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 ...
. According to
folk etymology
Folk etymology – also known as (generative) popular etymology, analogical reformation, (morphological) reanalysis and etymological reinterpretation – is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a mo ...
, the nickname has its origins in
Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
order; his name was written in Latin by the order as (father of the community); hence "Paco" was supposedly obtained by taking the first syllable of each word.
People with the nickname Paco include:
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Paco Alcácer (born 1993), Spanish footballer
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Paco Arespacochaga (born 1971), Portuguese singer
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Paco Cabanes Pastor (1954–2021), Valencian pilota player
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Paco Calderón (born 1959), Mexican political cartoonist
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Paco Camino (1940–2024), Spanish bullfighter
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Paco Craig (born 1965), American football player
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Paco Craig (born 1992), English footballer
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Paco de Lucía (1947–2014), Spanish flamenco guitarist and composer
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Paco Decina (born 1955), Italian choreographer
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Francisco Estévez (born 1945), Spanish composer
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Paco Estrada (born 1980), American musician
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Francisco Gento
Francisco "Paco" Gento López (21 October 1933 – 18 January 2022) was a Spanish association football, footballer who played as an outside left. A fast runner, Gento was referred to as the "Gale of the Cantabrian Sea" () in reference to his spee ...
(born 1933), Spanish footballer
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Paco Godia (1921–1990), Spanish racing driver
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Paco González (born 1966), Spanish sport journalist
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Paco Herrera (born 1953), Spanish footballer
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Paco Ibáñez (born 1934), Spanish singer
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Paco Jamandreu (1925–1995), Argentine fashion designer and actor
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Paco Jémez (born 1970), Spanish footballer
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Paco León
Francisco León Barrios (born 4 October 1974), known as Paco León () is a Spanish actor, producer, director, screenwriter and activist.
Born in Seville, León began his career in television comedy roles in Andalusian regional productions. Follo ...
(born 1974), Spanish actor
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Francisco Llorente Gento (born 1965), Spanish retired footballer
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Paco López (footballer) (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player
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Francisco Marhuenda (born 1961), Spanish journalist, professor and former politician
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Paco Moncayo (born 1940), mayor of Quito, Ecuador
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Paco Peña (born 1942), Spanish flamenco guitarist
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Paco Rabanne (1934–2023), Spanish fashion designer
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Paco Rodriguez (born 1991), American baseball player
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Pape Demba "Paco" Samb, Senegalese-American griot
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Paco Stanley (1942–1999), Mexican television entertainer and politician
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Paco Ignacio Taibo I (1924–2008), Spanish/Mexican writer and journalist
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Paco Ignacio Taibo II (born 1949), Spanish/Mexican writer, academic and politician
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Paco Tous (born 1964), Spanish actor
See also
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Pancho
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Patxi
References
{{given name
Spanish-language hypocorisms
Masculine hypocorisms