Surname Franciscus - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Franciscus: What does the surname Franciscus mean?
The last name Franciscus is derived from the Latin term "Franciscus," which means "Frenchman." This surname became popular due to Saint Francis of Assisi, whose birth name was Giovanni but was given the nickname ‘Francesco’ (or ‘Franciscus’, in Latin), meaning ‘Frenchman,’ by his father. This was a tribute to his father's love of France. Over time, the name Franciscus was adopted by people as a surname. It's important to note that not all individuals with this surname can trace their roots back to French ancestry, as the name was often adopted due to religious reasons, bearing the significance of following in the footsteps of Saint Francis' spirituality and humility.
Order DNA origin analysisFranciscus: Where does the name Franciscus come from?
The surname Franciscus is a Latin name meaning “the one from the Franks”, and has historically been most common in Latin-influenced countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Germany. It is also used in some Nordic countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The surname is still quite common in some of these countries today, particularly in Italy, where it is one of the top 100 last names. It is also quite prevalent in the southern United States, likely due to the influx of European immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the United States, Franciscus is usually found in states with large populations of people of Italian or Spanish descent, such as Texas, California, Florida, and New York. Additionally, Franciscus can be found in several African countries, though the surname has since been localized to fit the cultural context. For example, in Angola, the surname is common as “Fransisco”. Finally, the surname is also popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, though it has become less common in recent years. Overall, Franciscus is still quite common throughout much of Europe, the United States, and a few African countries.
Variations of the surname Franciscus
The surname Franciscus has a variety of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These variants include Francis, Frances, Francesco, Frans, Francois, Francisco, Franck, Frank, Franki, Franz, Fraan,Fongers, and Fransen.
Francis or Frances is a common variant for the version of the surname that is most often used in English and Francesco is often used as an Italian variant. Additionally, the versions Francois and Frans can be found in French-speaking nations.
In Spanish-speaking countries, the variant Francisco is common and is sometimes shortened to Frac or Chico. Franck and Frank are German variants of the name and Franki and Franz are variants that are found in countries such as Austria. Fraan and Fongers are Dutch variants, while Fransen is a common Dutch surname.
No matter what variation of the name Franciscus is used, it can be traced back to the Latin version Franciscus, which itself is derived from the Latin words Francisca, meaning “French”, and Sicus, meaning “from”. Therefore, the surname can be loosely translated to mean “of or from France”.
Famous people with the name Franciscus
- Robert Franciscus: American film producer and investor.
- Thomas Franciscus: American actor best known for his role as Stanley Harding on the CBS drama Zoo.
- Ray Franciscus: American actor, best known for his role as Santa Claus in Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.
- Jack Franciscus: American actor, comedian and singer, best known for his role in the television series WKRP in Cincinnati.
- Richard Franciscus: American former professional baseball player.
- Tann Franciscus: American inventor and entrepreneur.
- Stacey Franciscus: American actress, best known for her role as Addie in the film Heavenly Creatures.
- David Francis Franciscus: American former professional baseball player.
- Jane Franciscus: American voice actress who voiced the character of Tifa Lockhart in the video game Final Fantasy VII.
- Don Franciscus: American former professional football player.