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Francis Family History

Francis Surname Meaning

English: from the Old French personal name Franceis modern French François from Latin Franciscus originally ‘Frank’ though later used to denote a Frenchman. The personal name owed much of its popularity during the Middle Ages to the fame of Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) whose baptismal name was actually Giovanni but who was nicknamed Francisco because his father was absent in France at the time of his birth.

In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Italian Francesco and Polish Czech Slovak Slovenian and Croatian Franc and also their derivatives e.g. Croatian Francišković (see Francisco).

English: ethnic name from the Old French adjective Franceis ‘French’ (see 1 above). Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames or an adoption of the non-Jewish surname.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Francis family from?

You can see how Francis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Francis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Francis families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,885 Francis families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Francis's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Francis families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Francis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Francis ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Francis. 6% of Francis men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Francis women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Francis were Builders Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Francis | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Francis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 825,000 census records available for the last name Francis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Francis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Francis

Passenger Lists

There are 93,000 immigration records available for the last name Francis. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Francis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 131,000 military records available for the last name Francis. For the veterans among your Francis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Francis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Francis family history

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What is the average Francis lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Francis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Francis in 1943 was 59, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Francis

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Francis ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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