Francisca (given name)


Francisca is a feminine given name, the masculine form being Francisco. It is also related to many other names, such as Frances, Francis, Françoise, and Franz. It originated from the Germanic languages, before changing in form and meaning through Medieval Latin and into Spanish.

Etymology and meanings

Francisca is the feminine form of Francisco, which derives from the Latin given name Franciscus.
Francisca derives from the Medieval Latin Francus / Franciscus, meaning "belonging to the people of the Franks", a Germanic people of central Europe. The Franks derived their tribal name from a type of throwing axe, known as a francisca, that they used as a weapon during the early Middle Ages. The Franks were the only tribe who had rights of free citizens in the Middle Ages, so the term frank came to mean a free, sincere, or true. The word came from the Germanic word frankô, which referred to a weapon like a javelin or spear. Before this, in Proto-Germanic the word was sahsą, meaning "knife" or "dagger".
Paquita is a Spanish diminutive form of Francisca.

People

Notable people with the name include:

Fictional characters