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 [ 1 syll. fran(k), fr-a-nk ] The boy name Frank is pronounced as FRAENGK KEY. Frank is used chiefly in the English and German languages, and its origin is Italian and Germanic. From Italian and Germanic roots, its meaning is Frenchman, free one. From the element 'franko' meaning Frank. This was originally a name given to a member of the Franks, a 3rd-century West Germanic tribe, whose tribal name was derived from their distinctive spear, the Francisca, much like the Saxons were named after their characteristic knife, and the Lombards their halberd. After the 4th-century migration of the Franks into Gaul, the term Frank was taken to mean 'Frenchman'. 'France', derived from the Latin 'Francia', also replaced 'Gaul' as the country name. As the Franks fought for freedom against the Romans, their name was later taken to mean 'free'. The first name has been increasingly used among English speakers since the mid-19th century. The name Franka (German and Italian) is the female form of Frank. Frank has 18 variants that are used in both English and other languages. Variants of Frank used in English include Franki and Franklyn. The pet form Frankie is another English variant. Foreign variants of Frank include Cisco (Spanish), Ferenc (Hungarian), Feri (Hungarian), Franc (Slavic and French), Franck (French), Franco (Italian and Spanish), Franek (Polish), Franio (Polish), Franko (German), Frans (Dutch, Finnish, and Scandinavian), Franus (Polish), Franz (German), Franzl (German), and Paco (Spanish). In addition, Frank is a short form of the name Francis (English). Frank is also a short form of the name Franklin (English) in the English and German languages. Frank is a classic favorite. At present it is still popular as a baby name for boys, though it was in more widespread use before. In 1900, 2.143% of baby boys were given the name Frank. It ranked at #8 then. The baby name has since suffered a substantial fall in popularity, and is today of occasional use. In 2008, its usage was only 0.056% and its ranking #278, but it was nonetheless the most popular out of all boy names in its group. In 2008, Frank was twice as popular as the next ranked name, Franklin (English). The name Frank has mostly been a boy name, though it has also been given to girls in the past century. In 1939, the name Frank was given to 184 times as many boys than girls. Baby names that sound like Frank include Franc (Slavic and French), Franck (French), France (English), Frang (Scottish), Frans (Dutch, Finnish, and Scandinavian), Franz (German), Ferenc (Hungarian), Ffransis (Welsh), Francesc (Catalan), Francie (English), Francis (English), Francisque (French), Franciszk (Polish), Franco (Italian and Spanish), François (French), Franek (Polish), Franjo (Slavic), Franki (English), Frankie (English), and Franko (German). Details of famous persons named Frank: KEY: Pronunciation for Frank: F as in "fee (F.IY)" ; R as in "read (R.IY.D)" ; AE as in "at (AE.T)" ; NG as in "ping (P.IH.NG)" ; K as in "key (K.IY)"   |
