Word
francis
Phoneticsfran·cis
/ˈfɹænsəs/
Definitions
01male given name
n. a common first name for a man.
n. a male given name, derived from the Latin 'Franciscus'.
“Francis was named after his grandfather, who was born in Italy.”
“The name Francis gained widespread popularity in Europe during the thirteenth century following the canonization of the friar from Assisi.”
Pitfall
She is my friend Francis.
She is my friend Frances.
In modern English, 'Francis' is almost always the male spelling, while 'Frances' is the female spelling.
02historical/religious figure
n. the name of several famous people, including Saint Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis.
n. a name referring to specific historical or religious figures, most notably the 13th-century saint or the current head of the Catholic Church.
“Many people admire Pope Francis for his focus on helping the poor.”
“Saint Francis of Assisi is renowned for his devotion to poverty and his profound theological connection to the natural world.”
03surname
n. a family name or last name.
n. a surname of patronymic origin, common in English-speaking regions.
“The author of the book is a woman named Anne Francis.”
“The Francis family has resided in this particular county for over four generations, according to the local parish records.”
Etymology
From Medieval Latin Franciscus (“French(man)”) (from Francia (“France”)). Doublet of Francisco and Franz.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/francis