Francesco
fran-CHES-ko /fræŋˈtʃɛs.koʊ/
Meaning of Francesco
Francesco is the Italian form of Francis, from the Medieval Latin Franciscus — 'man of the Franks.' Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, 1181–1226) adopted Franciscus as his religious name; through his enormous moral authority the name spread across Italy and then Catholic Europe. Francesco has been among Italy's top-5 boys' names for several decades running.
How to pronounce Francesco
In Italian: fran-CHES-co (the sc before e produces a 'sh' sound — CHES not KES).
Current popularity of Francesco
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (ISTAT) | 2024 | #2 |
Notable bearers of Francesco
Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226); Francesco Petrarch (poet); Francesco Totti (footballer).
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Francesco — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31