This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Frances f. Latin Francisca 'Frankish, Frenchwoman'.

The name of a 15th C Italian saint.

Fem. of Francis, the name of an important saint. Italian Franzia developed from the German and Dutch masculine form Frans.

England
Latin
1554 Francisca (nom) StMartF p. 58; 1559 Francisca (nom) ibid. p. 59; 1568 ffrances (nom) Chst-1 p. 11
Early Modern English
1538 Francis StAnthonlin p. 1; 1550 Frances ExMar 2a; 1558 ffraunces StMaryA p. 3; 1565 Frances StAnthonlin p. 17; 1566 Frances ibid. p. 18; 1568 Frances Bar-in-El p. 12; 1570 Frawncys BUmar-vol1 p. 25; 1572 Francis SaxhamSf p. 2; 1574 Frances Bar-in-El p. 23; 1582 Frances DEmar-vol2 p. 7, Francis BUmar-vol9 p. 7; 1583 Frances StAnthonlin p. 30, Francis ibid. p. 30, Frauncys BUmar-vol1 p. 26; 1587 Frances bruton-vol1 p. 47; 1588 Frances StAnthonlin p. 33, Francis CAmar-vol1 p. 4, StAnthonlin p. 33; 1589 Frances BEmar-vol2 p. 130, bruton-vol1 p. 48, Francis StAnthonlin p. 33, Frawncys BUmar-vol1 p. 26; 1590 Frances BUmar-vol2 p. 65, Francis CAmar-vol1 p. 4, StAnthonlin p. 34; 1592 Frances BUmar-vol2 p. 65, bruton-vol1 p. 52; 1593 Frances ibid. p. 53, Franncis BEmar-vol1 p. 16, Frawncys BUmar-vol1 p. 27; 1594 Frances BUmar-vol9 p. 8, bruton-vol1 p. 10; 1595 Frances DEmar-vol2 p. 31, Francis CAmar-vol1 p. 5; 1595/6 Fraunces HAmar-vol9 p. 51; 1596 Frances BUmar-vol9 p. 9; 1597 Frances DEmar-vol2 p. 37; 1598 Frances ibid. p. 39; 1599 Frances BUmar-vol2 p. 142, Francis SaxhamSf p. 5, Frauncis BUmar-vol2 p. 118
France
Middle French
1562 Françoise RegPCC-1 p. 8; 1563 Françoise ibid. p. 28, Françoyse ibid. p. 28; 1564 Françoise ibid. p. 51, Françoyse ibid. p. 50; 1565 Françoise ibid. p. 116, Françoyse ibid. p. 110; 1566 Françoise ibid. p. 211, Françoyse ibid. p. 204
Italy
Latin
1310 Franzia (nom) MonRav-2 CCCL; 1348 Francisca (nom) INP 22, Francisce (gen) ibid. 25; 1522x1532 Francesca (nom) DSF p. 56, 13
1265x1339 Franzina (nom) BBC-Berg 92; 1348 Cecchola (abl) INP 24; 1522x1532 Cecha (nom) DSF p. 53, 43
Spain
Latin
1487 Franciscam (acc) carbonell p. 12
1487 Francina (nom) carbonell p. 11, Francoya (nom) ibid. p. 12; 1488 Francina (nom) ibid. p. 16, Francinae (gen) ibid. p. 17; 1489 Francina (nom) ibid. p. 34; 1490 Francina (nom) ibid. p. 42; 1491 Francina (nom) ibid. p. 55, Francinæ (gen) ibid. p. 57, Francoya (nom) ibid. p. 60; 1492 Francina (nom) ibid. p. 66
Catalan
1510 Francesca valencia1510 3808
1510 Francina valencia1510 3177
Switzerland
Latin
14thCx1478 Francesia (nom) Ob-SPVn (47)
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Frances". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2016/1/name/Frances.