Frances
Girl name · #318 in 2025 · Uniqueness 43/100
In 2025, 960 baby girls were named Frances, placing it at #318 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #513, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,875 girls born in 2025 was named Frances.
The 145-year story
Frances first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 605 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 16,132 girls were named Frances — good for #8 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Frances per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Frances against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Frances in class?
Frances scores 43 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Frances is most common
Geography matters for names, and Frances is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Francess were CA (75), TX (70), NY (55), GA (52), MI (43). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Frances
Statistically, parents drawn to Frances tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dorothy, Florence, Helen, Virginia, and Louise.
DorothyFlorenceHelenVirginiaLouiseSylviaAgnesEdith
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Frances | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 960 | #318 |
| 2024 | 829 | #375 |
| 2023 | 760 | #403 |
| 2022 | 755 | #419 |
| 2021 | 801 | #392 |
| 2020 | 744 | #418 |
| 2019 | 718 | #438 |
| 2018 | 723 | #441 |
| 2017 | 730 | #437 |
| 2016 | 721 | #446 |
| 2015 | 614 | #513 |
| 2014 | 484 | #603 |
| 2013 | 409 | #690 |
| 2012 | 364 | #763 |
| 2011 | 348 | #782 |
| 2010 | 356 | #769 |
| 2009 | 355 | #797 |
| 2008 | 368 | #793 |
| 2007 | 347 | #826 |
| 2006 | 360 | #762 |
| 2005 | 355 | #753 |
| 2004 | 427 | #639 |
| 2003 | 449 | #606 |
| 2002 | 415 | #617 |
| 2001 | 429 | #590 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Frances a popular girl name?
Frances ranked #318 among girls in 2025 with 960 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #513.
When was the name Frances most popular?
Frances peaked in 1918, when 16,132 American girls received the name (ranked #8 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Frances?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,875 newborn American girls was named Frances. It scores 43/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.