UK surname

Francis

An English and French surname derived from the personal name Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman" or "free man."

In the 1881 census there were 17,798 people recorded with the Francis surname, ranking it #215 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 33,310, ranked #159, up from #215 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Francis is 33,978 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.2%.

1881 census count

17,798

Ranked #215

Modern count

33,310

2016, ranked #159

Peak year

2010

33,978 bearers

Map years

1851 to 2016

Key insights

• Francis had 17,798 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #215 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 33,310 in 2016, ranked #159.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25,725 in 1911.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Map

Francis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Francis surname density by area, 1881 census.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Francis 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	11,444	#215
1861	historical	12,589	#194
1881	historical	17,798	#215
1891	historical	19,633	#198
1901	historical	22,954	#206
1911	historical	25,725	#164
1997	modern	30,894	#164
1998	modern	32,152	#166
1999	modern	32,249	#167
2000	modern	32,174	#165
2001	modern	31,373	#166
2002	modern	32,237	#163
2003	modern	31,489	#162
2004	modern	31,625	#162
2005	modern	31,261	#161
2006	modern	31,487	#160
2007	modern	31,903	#160
2008	modern	32,073	#160
2009	modern	33,149	#159
2010	modern	33,978	#158
2011	modern	33,306	#159
2012	modern	32,683	#159
2013	modern	33,497	#159
2014	modern	33,737	#159
2015	modern	33,421	#159
2016	modern	33,310	#159

Geography

Where Francis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Llanelly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil. 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	Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos)	Glamorganshire
2	Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff	Gloucestershire
3	London parishes	London 1
4	London parishes	London 3
5	Llanelly	Carmarthenshire

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Carmarthenshire 026	Carmarthenshire
2	Swansea 007	Swansea
3	Swansea 005	Swansea
4	Merthyr Tydfil 007	Merthyr Tydfil
5	Carmarthenshire 020	Carmarthenshire

Forenames

First names often paired with Francis

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

Historical female names

Mary Elizabeth Sarah Jane Ann Annie Ellen Eliza Alice Margaret

Historical male names

William John Thomas George James Charles David Edward Henry Joseph

Recent female names

Sarah Susan Margaret Elizabeth Patricia Mary Claire Emma Julie Helen

Recent male names

David John Michael Paul Mark Robert Richard Peter James Christopher

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Francis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Francis, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Francis is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Francis 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Francis falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Francis 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Francis

The surname Francis derives from the French personal name François, which itself comes from the Germanic name Franciscus. The name Franciscus is composed of the Frankish word 'franko', meaning free or frank, and the suffix '-isk', which was used to form ethnic names. The name was likely first adopted by the Franks when they converted to Christianity.

The name Francis first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholders and their properties throughout England. Early spellings of the name included Franceis, Fraunceys, and Fraunceis.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Robert Francis, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066. He was granted lands in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Adam Francis, a wealthy merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's wool trade and served as Mayor of Bristol in 1256.

In the 14th century, the name was associated with several places in England, such as Francis Court in Berkshire and Francis Farm in Essex. These place names likely derived from the surname itself.

One of the most famous historical figures with the surname Francis was Sir Philip Francis (1740-1818), an Irish-born British politician and writer. He was best known for being the alleged author of the Letters of Junius, a series of political polemics that were published in London newspapers between 1769 and 1772.

Another notable bearer of the name was Tench Francis (1730-1800), an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Continental Congress and was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation.

In the 19th century, Sir Philip Francis (1822-1911), an English civil servant and diplomat, served as the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and played a significant role in the negotiations leading up to the Congress of Berlin in 1878.

The surname Francis has also been associated with several notable artists and writers, including the English novelist and essayist Mary E. Francis (1890-1957) and the American artist Sam Francis (1923-1994), who was a leading figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Francis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Francis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 17,798 people were recorded with the Francis surname. That placed it at #215 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Francis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 33,310 in 2016. That gives Francis a modern rank of #159.

What does the Francis surname mean?