Frances is the English feminine form of Francis, from the Latin Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman" or "free one". Frances Perkins, the first woman in a US cabinet, and actress Frances McDormand are notable American bearers. After a long slide the name is coming back: Frances stood at number 572 in 2000 and 513 in 2015 and has climbed to 318 among girls' names in 2025, its best rank this century.