Frances

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Frances: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Frances: Recorded every year since 1952, it reached #38 in 1964, and it stood at #425 in 2024.

6registrars recorded it
121times a registrar ranked it
73years from first to last
#38highest recorded position
20groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Frances's record

Ranked every year since 1952, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#161
1997	#181
1998	#201
1999	#252
2000	#249
2001	#295
2002	#313
2003	#359
2004	#340
2005	#390
2006	#410
2007	#458
2008	#500
2009	#647
2010	#521
2011	#552
2012	#493
2013	#466
2014	#503
2015	#461
2016	#382
2017	#383
2018	#400
2019	#392
2020	#352
2021	#438
2022	#424
2023	#429
2024	#425

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 51 of the 60 years from 1964 to 2023.

In 2024: #425 among girls in England and Wales, #541 among girls in Scotland.

Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 1952–2024 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #64 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #38 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #425 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Frances appears in 5 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Girls, with 51 ranked years and 2,509 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Girls, from 1952.

Frances across 5 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Frances's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#38 (1964)	#38 (1964)	#856 (2023)	51 of 60	2,509 (1964–2023)	173 (1964)
New Zealand · Girls	#52 (1954)	#52 (1954)	#88 (1985)	15 of 32	1,212 (1954–1985)	123 (1954)
England and Wales · Girls	#161 (1996)	#161 (1996)	#425 (2024)	29 of 29	3,417 (1996–2024)	274 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#241 (1997)	#227 (1999)	#432 (2017)	11 of 21	44 (1997–2017)	6 (1997)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#64 (1952)	#62 (1954)	#98 (1965)	14 of 14	1,651 (1952–1965)	143 (1953)

Frances by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Frances in Republic of Ireland · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960sbusiest	852	6 of 10	142
1970s	859	10 of 10	86
1980s	524	10 of 10	52
1990s	197	10 of 10	20
2000s	50	9 of 10	6
2010s	19	4 of 10	5
2020s	8	2 of 10	4

Across Republic of Ireland · Girls, the 1960s were its busiest decade — the 6 years of it this list covers, averaging 142 births a year.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Frances appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1952 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #38 in Republic of Ireland in 1964.

Frances's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	female	#425	101	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	female	#429	95	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	female	#424	100	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	female	#438	100	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	female	#352	126	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	female	#392	110	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#400	111	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#383	118	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#382	119	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#461	94	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#503	84	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#466	90	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#493	89	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#552	75	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#521	77	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#647	57	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#500	77	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#458	88	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#410	102	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#390	101	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#340	113	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#359	103	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#313	115	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#295	125	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#249	158	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#252	159	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#201	214	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#181	242	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#161	274	High	Verified
1965	New South Wales, Australia	female	#98	77	Insufficient	Not yet available
1964	New South Wales, Australia	female	#72	108	Insufficient	Not yet available
1963	New South Wales, Australia	female	#74	114	Insufficient	Not yet available
1962	New South Wales, Australia	female	#79	108	Insufficient	Not yet available
1961	New South Wales, Australia	female	#74	130	Insufficient	Not yet available
1960	New South Wales, Australia	female	#76	113	Insufficient	Not yet available
1959	New South Wales, Australia	female	#70	127	Insufficient	Not yet available
1958	New South Wales, Australia	female	#80	107	Insufficient	Not yet available
1957	New South Wales, Australia	female	#74	114	Insufficient	Not yet available
1956	New South Wales, Australia	female	#76	111	Insufficient	Not yet available
1955	New South Wales, Australia	female	#65	127	Insufficient	Not yet available
1954	New South Wales, Australia	female	#62	143	Insufficient	Not yet available
1953	New South Wales, Australia	female	#64	143	Insufficient	Not yet available
1952	New South Wales, Australia	female	#64	129	Insufficient	Not yet available
1985	New Zealand	female	#88	57	High	Verified
1984	New Zealand	female	#95	55	High	Verified
1983	New Zealand	female	#90	57	High	Verified
1982	New Zealand	female	#86	56	High	Verified
1965	New Zealand	female	#100	63	High	Verified
1964	New Zealand	female	#98	69	High	Verified
1962	New Zealand	female	#88	89	High	Verified
1961	New Zealand	female	#79	96	High	Verified
1960	New Zealand	female	#71	99	High	Verified
1959	New Zealand	female	#73	102	High	Verified
1958	New Zealand	female	#92	75	High	Verified
1957	New Zealand	female	#71	91	High	Verified
1956	New Zealand	female	#66	91	High	Verified
1955	New Zealand	female	#73	89	High	Verified
1954	New Zealand	female	#52	123	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	female	#432	3	High	Verified
2016	Northern Ireland	female	#440	3	High	Verified
2013	Northern Ireland	female	#440	3	High	Verified
2008	Northern Ireland	female	#370	4	High	Verified
2006	Northern Ireland	female	#384	3	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	female	#372	3	High	Verified
2001	Northern Ireland	female	#267	5	High	Verified
2000	Northern Ireland	female	#282	4	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	female	#227	6	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	female	#301	4	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	female	#241	6	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	female	#856	3	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	female	#661	5	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	female	#871	3	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	female	#579	6	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	female	#660	5	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	female	#661	5	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	female	#546	7	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#842	3	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	female	#431	8	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	female	#587	4	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	female	#576	4	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	female	#333	9	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#620	3	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	female	#441	5	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	female	#352	7	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	female	#322	7	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	female	#203	15	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	female	#254	15	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	female	#259	13	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	female	#232	16	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	female	#158	28	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	female	#223	17	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	female	#172	27	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	female	#171	26	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	female	#151	33	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	female	#141	36	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	female	#136	41	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	female	#136	42	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#139	42	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	female	#125	51	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	female	#128	52	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	female	#144	47	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	female	#112	72	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	female	#116	67	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	female	#110	74	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	female	#116	68	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#115	66	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	female	#124	62	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	female	#92	88	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	female	#112	71	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	female	#96	90	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	female	#89	93	High	Verified
1972	Republic of Ireland	female	#81	103	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	female	#79	107	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	female	#72	111	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	female	#74	104	High	Verified
1968	Republic of Ireland	female	#58	130	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	female	#45	151	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	female	#52	131	High	Verified
1965	Republic of Ireland	female	#43	163	High	Verified
1964	Republic of Ireland	female	#38	173	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	female	#541	5	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
New Zealand hub — collected by NZ Department of Internal Affairs
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 6 registrars between 1952 and 2024, ranked in 73 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #38, first reached in 1964.

It held a top-100 place in 28 years, 23 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 274 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1954, and 72 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Fortune · #375, 13y
Fox · #418, 27y
Francesca · #53, 49y
Francesco · #258, 31y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 6 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Russell · #37, 70y
Sally · #36, 74y
Dennis · #34, 74y
Lee · #42, 68y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Sam · #38, 59y
Valerie · #38, 68y
Alina · #37, 63y
Leslie · #37, 67y

Frances was ranked #38 in Republic of Ireland · Girls in 1964. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Frances and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Frances without appearing here.

Frances moved ahead of

Geraldine Compare
In 2007 they stood at #842 and #705 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2008 that had become #546 and #862.
Jodie Compare
In 2011 they stood at #552 and #468 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2012 that had become #493 and #768.
Danielle Compare
In 2015 they stood at #461 and #461 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2016 that had become #382 and #655.
Jordan Compare
In 2003 they stood at #359 and #299 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2004 that had become #340 and #581.

Moved ahead of Frances

Kylie Compare
In 2018 they stood at #579 and #651 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2019 that had become #871 and #362.
Gemma Compare
In 2022 they stood at #661 and #883 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2023 that had become #856 and #445.
Maisie Compare
In 2006 they stood at #431 and #502 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2007 that had become #842 and #431.
Millie Compare
In 2001 they stood at #441 and #498 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2002 that had become #620 and #238.

Moved the opposite way to Frances

Emma Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 while Emma went from #245 to #19.
Hannah Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 while Hannah went from #91 to #12.
Kate Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 while Kate went from #300 to #38.
Melissa Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 while Melissa went from #372 to #202.

Moved the same way as Frances

Alma Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 and Alma from #327 to #625.
Audrey Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 and Audrey from #85 to #856.
Eileen Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 and Eileen from #17 to #445.
Ida Compare
Between 1964 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Frances went from #38 to #856 and Ida from #372 to #625.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1952 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #38 in Republic of Ireland in 1964. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Frances

Frances at a glance

What stands out in Frances's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Frances across 5 official records

Frances by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Frances appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Frances

Frances and the names beside it

Frances moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Frances

Moved the opposite way to Frances

Moved the same way as Frances

Frances at a glance

What stands out in Frances's record

Frances across 5 official records

Frances by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Frances appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Frances

Frances and the names beside it

Frances moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Frances

Moved the opposite way to Frances

Moved the same way as Frances