Explore the Family Name Frances
The meaning of Frances
1. English (of Norman origin): variant of Francis. 2. Spanish (Francés) and Portuguese (Francês); French (southern) and Catalan (Francès): from an ethnic name meaning ‘Frenchman’ (see Francis). 3. Breton (Francès): from an altered form of the French personal name François (see Francois). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Francisco, Carlos, Cruz, Gustavo, Amador, Anastacia, Colon, Gaspar, Hiran, Ignacio, Joaquin, Juan. French Dominique, Jacques, Jean-Marie, Remy, Yves.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Frances in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Frances saw a dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. It slid down from rank 12,193 to 13,627, marking an 11.76% decrease over the decade. The count of people with this surname also fell from 2,343 in 2000 to 2,222 in 2010, a 5.16% decline. Accordingly, the proportion of individuals named Frances per 100,000 people dropped by 13.79%, going from 0.87 to 0.75.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,193 | #13,627 | -11.76% |
| Count | 2,343 | 2,222 | -5.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.87 | 0.75 | -13.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Frances
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts among those carrying the Frances surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, jumping from 1.11% to 2.25%. The Hispanic representation also increased significantly from 10.93% to 17.15%. Conversely, there was a notable decrease in the proportion claiming Black ethnicity, falling from 29.71% to 22.77%. The percentage identifying as having two or more races also declined, dropping from 2.69% to 1.94%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Frances surname holders identifying as White and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw marginal changes, moving from 53.56% to 53.65% and 2.01% to 2.25% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 53.56% | 53.65% | 0.17% |
| Black | 29.71% | 22.77% | -23.36% |
| Hispanic | 10.93% | 17.15% | 56.91% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.11% | 2.25% | 102.7% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.01% | 2.25% | 11.94% |
| Two or More Races | 2.69% | 1.94% | -27.88% |