NameCensus.

UK surname

Frances

An anglicized form of the French surname "François," meaning "Frenchman" or "free man."

In the 1881 census there were 1,880 people recorded with the Frances surname, ranking it #2,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 547, ranked #9,323, down from #2,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin, Cornwall and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Frances is 3,250 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 70.9%.

1881 census count

1,880

Ranked #2,320

Modern count

547

2016, ranked #9,323

Peak year

1861

3,250 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Frances had 1,880 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016, ranked #9,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,250 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Frances surname distribution map

The map shows where the Frances surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Frances surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Frances over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,588 #1,140
1861 historical 3,250 #886
1881 historical 1,880 #2,320
1891 historical 2,359 #1,988
1901 historical 1,550 #3,324
1911 historical 1,100 #4,221
1997 modern 481 #9,584
1998 modern 455 #10,315
1999 modern 467 #10,179
2000 modern 448 #10,477
2001 modern 426 #10,697
2002 modern 445 #10,538
2003 modern 437 #10,539
2004 modern 446 #10,391
2005 modern 439 #10,401
2006 modern 430 #10,624
2007 modern 435 #10,613
2008 modern 438 #10,668
2009 modern 474 #10,251
2010 modern 518 #9,778
2011 modern 496 #10,012
2012 modern 522 #9,575
2013 modern 542 #9,446
2014 modern 540 #9,535
2015 modern 541 #9,451
2016 modern 547 #9,323

Geography

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Where Frances' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth, Merthyr Tydfil and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin, Cornwall, St Albans, North Kesteven and Harrogate. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 006 Telford and Wrekin
2 Cornwall 072 Cornwall
3 St Albans 018 St Albans
4 North Kesteven 003 North Kesteven
5 Harrogate 019 Harrogate

Forenames

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First names often paired with Frances

These lists show first names that appear often with the Frances surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Frances

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Frances, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Frances surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Frances household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Frances is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Frances is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Frances falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Frances is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Frances, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Frances

The surname Frances is of English origin, deriving from the Old French word "Franceis" which means "French" or "Frenchman." It is believed to have emerged in the 11th century, following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who had ties to France, either through ancestry or place of birth. It was commonly used to distinguish immigrants from France or individuals of French descent living in England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Frances can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Franciscus." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England.

In the 13th century, the surname was also recorded in various forms such as "Fraunceys," "Fraunceis," and "Frauncays" in various medieval records and manuscripts. These variations reflect the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

Notable figures bearing the surname Frances throughout history include:

1. Sir Philip Frances (1590-1676), an English courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I.

2. John Frances (1775-1861), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a vice-admiral.

3. William Frances (1661-1701), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the late 17th century.

4. Robert Frances (1604-1675), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1660 to 1662.

5. Thomas Frances (1590-1652), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held various legal positions during the reign of Charles I.

The surname Frances can also be found in various place names across England, such as Francesfield in Yorkshire and Francestown in Hampshire, which may have derived from individuals bearing this surname who settled in these areas or owned land there.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Frances families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Frances surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 206 Frances' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.12x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 206 1.12x
Kent 133 2.12x
Lancashire 131 0.60x
Surrey 127 1.42x
Sussex 116 3.74x
Glamorgan 100 3.12x
Norfolk 97 3.43x
Essex 82 2.26x
Yorkshire 73 0.40x
Suffolk 55 2.45x
Cornwall 50 2.40x
Cheshire 47 1.16x
Warwickshire 41 0.88x
Shropshire 40 2.52x
Durham 39 0.71x
Somerset 31 1.05x
Wiltshire 31 1.91x
Hampshire 29 0.77x
Lincolnshire 28 0.95x
Hertfordshire 27 2.13x
Lanarkshire 27 0.45x
Herefordshire 26 3.45x
Dorset 25 2.07x
Montgomeryshire 24 5.69x
Berkshire 23 1.67x
Bedfordshire 22 2.31x
Carmarthenshire 21 2.71x
Gloucestershire 20 0.55x
Northumberland 19 0.69x
Cambridgeshire 18 1.54x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.69x
Staffordshire 16 0.26x
Devon 14 0.37x
Monmouthshire 14 1.05x
Worcestershire 14 0.58x
Brecknockshire 12 3.26x
Anglesey 11 3.37x
Northamptonshire 11 0.64x
Derbyshire 10 0.35x
Leicestershire 10 0.49x
Midlothian 9 0.37x
Isle of Man 7 2.05x
Oxfordshire 6 0.53x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.45x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.86x
Denbighshire 3 0.43x
Radnorshire 3 2.02x
Flintshire 2 0.40x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.55x
Channel Islands 1 0.18x
Merionethshire 1 0.30x
Perthshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x
Westmorland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 25 Frances' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 25 1.62x
Bethnal Green London 20 2.50x
Liverpool 18 1.36x
Swansea Town 18 6.85x
Kensington London 17 1.66x
St Pancras London 17 1.15x
Camberwell 16 1.36x
Llanelly 16 9.16x
Newington 15 2.21x
Shoreditch London 15 1.88x
Toxteth Park 15 2.03x
Hackney London 14 1.36x
Norwich St Julian 14 117.45x
Stratton St Mary 14 357.14x
Tranmere 14 9.38x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 13 3.83x
Campton 13 371.43x
East Ham 13 19.29x
Hastings St Andrew 13 116.91x
Middlesbrough 13 5.48x
Rotherfield 13 47.60x
St Marylebone London 13 1.32x
Islington London 12 0.67x
Paddington London 12 1.77x
Strood 12 33.51x
Thakeham 12 349.85x
Aberdare 11 5.00x
Takeley 11 211.54x
Tref Eglwys 11 95.65x
Woolwich 11 4.74x
Barony 10 0.66x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 5.77x
Great Dunham 10 401.61x
Hetton Le Hole 10 14.42x
Horsham 10 16.59x
Lambeth 10 0.62x
Motcombe 10 112.49x
Rudgwick 10 141.24x
Speen 10 44.25x
Tonbridge 10 4.42x
Bermondsey 9 1.64x
Clase 9 7.56x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.86x
Glasgow 9 0.85x
Hatfield 9 35.01x
Leicester St Margaret 9 1.81x
Mile End Old Town London 9 2.30x
Ystradvelltey 9 243.90x
Brighton 8 1.28x
Hindley 8 8.59x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 2.60x
Monks Coppenhall 8 5.22x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.25x
Oxton 8 34.83x
Plumstead 8 3.82x
Radcliffe 8 7.60x
Speldhurst 8 25.03x
St John Near Swansea 8 20.20x
Thornton In Bradford 8 13.18x
West Thurrock 8 66.28x
Wimbledon 8 7.95x
Amlwch 7 22.81x
Birkenhead 7 2.16x
Bradwell 7 200.00x
Chiddingfold 7 83.43x
Clavering 7 106.54x
Hartlepool 7 9.00x
Hove 7 5.14x
Leintwardine 7 91.15x
Little Leighs 7 886.08x
Littleport 7 31.45x
Maddington 7 274.51x
Margam 7 19.59x
Northwood 7 13.04x
Onchan 7 7.11x
Portsea 7 0.95x
Ross 7 23.33x
Thaxted 7 58.09x
Thundridge 7 235.69x
Trowbridge 7 9.73x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Frances surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 116
Elizabeth 71
Sarah 65
Jane 46
Eliza 39
Ann 38
Alice 36
Emily 35
Ellen 30
Emma 29
Annie 20
Margaret 20
Maria 19
Caroline 17
Charlotte 17
Harriet 17
Catherine 15
Hannah 13
Martha 13
Fanny 12
Kate 11
Louisa 11
Matilda 11
Susan 11
Lucy 9
Clara 8
Edith 8
Anne 7
Elizth. 7
Rebecca 7
Rose 7
Ada 6
Harriett 6
Amelia 5
Esther 5
Frances 5
Henrietta 5
Maud 5
Susannah 5
Agnes 4
Amy 4
Anna 4
Florence 4
Julia 4
Lydia 4
Margret 4
Minnie 4
Phoebe 4
Rosa 4
Olivia 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Frances surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 111
John 82
Thomas 59
George 55
James 54
Charles 50
Henry 33
Joseph 27
Robert 27
Samuel 20
Arthur 18
David 18
Edward 18
Alfred 15
Richard 15
Walter 15
Frederick 14
Harry 14
Albert 12
Benjamin 6
Edwin 6
Francis 6
Frank 6
Herbert 6
Hugh 6
Daniel 5
Fredrick 5
Thos. 5
Fred 4
Isaac 4
Wm. 4
Edmund 3
Edwd. 3
Geo. 3
Horace 3
Solomon 3
Willie 3
Basil 2
Cyril 2
Eli 2
Ernest 2
Jonah 2
Jonas 2
Leonard 2
Levi 2
Morgan 2
Percy 2
Richd. 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Frances surname: questions and answers

How common was the Frances surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,880 people were recorded with the Frances surname. That placed it at #2,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Frances surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016. That gives Frances a modern rank of #9,323.

What does the Frances surname mean?

An anglicized form of the French surname "François," meaning "Frenchman" or "free man."

What does the Frances map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Frances bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.