What Does the Name Frank Mean?
Frank is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning “free man (from the Frankish tribe). The 'Frenchman' meaning belongs to the separate name Francis (Latin Franciscus), not Frank..”
Updated June 2026
| Name | Frank |
|---|---|
| Gender | male |
| Origin | Germanic |
| Meaning | free man (from the Frankish tribe). The 'Frenchman' meaning belongs to the separate name Francis (Latin Franciscus), not Frank. |
| Variants | Francis, Franklin, Franz, Francesco, Franco |
| Popularity | Extremely popular in the US in the early 20th century, ranking in the top 10; it remains in modest but steady use today. |
The meaning and origin of Frank
The name Frank means “free man (from the Frankish tribe). The 'Frenchman' meaning belongs to the separate name Francis (Latin Franciscus), not Frank.” and has Germanic origins. Frank originally referred to a member of the Germanic Franks tribe, whose name is also the source of 'France' and the word 'frank' meaning free. It also functions as a short form of Francis or Franklin.
Variants and related names
Frank is related to several other names you may recognize: Francis, Franklin, Franz, Francesco, Franco. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.
How popular is the name Frank?
Extremely popular in the US in the early 20th century, ranking in the top 10; it remains in modest but steady use today.
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Open the name generator →Frequently asked questions
What does the name Frank mean?+
The name Frank means “free man (from the Frankish tribe). The 'Frenchman' meaning belongs to the separate name Francis (Latin Franciscus), not Frank.” and is of Germanic origin.
What is the origin of the name Frank?+
Frank originates from Germanic.
Is Frank a popular name?+
Yes — see the popularity note above for how Frank has trended in the US over time.
Frank by gender
More boy's names
Sources
- Behind the Name — Etymology and history of first names — Behind the Name
- US Social Security Administration — Popular baby names by year — Social Security Administration
- A Dictionary of First Names — Oxford Reference — Oxford University Press