Franciscus


Franciscus is a Latin masculine given name, originally an epithet meaning "the Franks". It is also used as a surname. There are many related names.

Etymology and meanings

The Medieval Latin word Francus or Franciscus, meant "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 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".

Francis of Assisi

It was applied to Saint Francis of Assisi .
Francis had been baptized Giovanni ; his father was Italian and his mother Provençale ; his father was on business in France when he was born, and when he returned to Assisi, he began to call his son by the nickname Francesco, in the opinion of G. K. Chesterton possibly because out of a general enthusiasm for all things French, or because of his commercial success in France.
After the canonization of Saint Francis of Assisi in 1228, the custom of naming children after saints led to the popularisation of Franciscus as a given name. In the vernaculars of western Europe, the name diversified into the forms Francesco, Francisco, Francesc, François, Franz ; besides Frans, the Latin form remains commonly given in Dutch.

Modern usage

Franciscus may serve as the Latinisation of any of these given names; conversely, Francis may serve as the anglicisation of anyone called Franciscus.

People

Chosen name

  • Pope Franciscus

    Latinized name

  • Franciscus Assisiensis, Saint Francis of Assisi
  • Franciscus Accursius, Italian lawyer
  • Franciscus de Mayronis, French scholastic philosopher
  • Franciscus de Marchia, Italian Franciscan theologian and philosopher
  • Franciscus de Florentia, Italian composer, organist, singer, poet and instrument maker
  • Franciscus Monachus, Brabantian cartographer
  • Franciscus Irenicus, German humanist and historian
  • Franciscus Bossinensis, possibly Bosnian lutenist-composer working in Venice
  • Franciscus Stancarus, Italian Catholic priest, theologian, and Protestant convert
  • Franciscus Titelmannus, Flemish Franciscan scholar
  • Franciscus Sonnius, Dutch theologian and bishop
  • Franciscus Duarenus, French jurist and professor of law
  • Franciscus Portus, Greek-Italian Renaissance humanist and classical scholar.
  • Franciscus Dryander, Spanish classical scholar, translator and Protestant apologist
  • Franciscus Londariti, Crete-born Venetian composer
  • Franciscus Balduinus, French jurist, Christian controversialist and historian
  • Franciscus Patricius, Venetian philosopher
  • Franciscus Costerus, Brabantian Jesuit, theologian and author
  • Franciscus Barocius, Italian mathematician, astronomer and humanist
  • Franciscus Raphelengius, Flemish-born Dutch scholar, printer and bookseller
  • Franciscus Vieta, French mathematician
  • Franciscus Junius , Huguenot scholar and theologian
  • Franciscus Haraeus, Netherlandish theologian, historian, and cartographer
  • Franciscus Gomarus, Dutch theologian
  • Franciscus Aguilonius, Belgian Jesuit mathematician, physicist and architect
  • Franciscus Dousa, Dutch classical scholar
  • Franciscus Quaresmius, Italian writer and Orientalist
  • Franciscus Burgersdicius, Dutch logician
  • Franciscus Junius , Huguenot philologist and art historian
  • Franciscus Linus, English-born Jesuit priest and scientist
  • Franciscus Blancus, Albanian bishop and author
  • Franciscus Sylvius, Dutch physician and scientist
  • Franciscus Bonae Spei, Belgian Catholic scholastic philosopher
  • Franciscus a Mesgnien Meninski French-born Turkologist and Ottoman historian

    Given name

  • Franciscus van den Enden, Flemish poet, physician, art dealer, philosopher, and teacher of Spinoza
  • Franciscus de Neve , Flemish history, landscape and portrait painter
  • Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont, Flemish alchemist and writer
  • Franciscus "Frans" van Schooten, Dutch mathematician
  • Franciscus van der Steen, Flemish painter and engraver
  • Franciscus Carré, Dutch painter and draftsman
  • Franciscus de Neve , Flemish painter and engraver
  • Franciscus "Frans" Kiggelaer, Dutch botanist and apothecary
  • Franciscus Gijsbrechts, Flemish Baroque painter
  • Franciscus Andreas Durlet, Belgian architect, sculptor and printmaker
  • Franciscus Cornelis "Franz" Donders, Dutch ophthalmologist
  • Franciscus Kenninck, Dutch Old Catholic Archbishop
  • Franciscus G.J. "Frans" van Lith, Dutch Jesuit missionary on Java
  • Franciscus Hermanus Bach, Dutch painter
  • Franciscus Hubertus "Frans" Schraven, Dutch Catholic Bishop who acted as missionary in China
  • Franciscus C.M. "Frans" Wijffels, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs
  • Franciscus Bernardus Jacobus Kuiper, Dutch Indologist
  • Franciscus Xaverius "Frans" Seda, Indonesian finance minister
  • Franciscus Xaverius Rocharjanta Prajasuta, Indonesian Roman Catholic bishop and composer
  • Franciscus Jozef "Frans" Brüggen, Dutch conductor, recorder player and baroque flautist
  • Franciscus J.M. "Frans" Wiertz, Dutch Roman Catholic bishop
  • Franciscus J. "Frans" Luitjes, Dutch sprinter
  • Franciscus Wilhelmus Maria Broers, Dutch writer using the pseudonym Jacq Firmin Vogelaar
  • Franciscus Henri, Dutch-Australian musician
  • Franciscus B.M. "Frans" de Waal, Dutch primatologist and ethologist
  • Franciscus Adrianus "Frans" van Vught, Dutch social scientist
  • Franciscus H.G. "Frank" de Grave, Dutch Minister of Defence
  • Franciscus C.G.M. "Frans" Timmermans, Dutch politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign affairs
  • Franciscus A.A.J. "Frans" Maasen, Dutch cyclist and directeur sportif
  • Franciscus "Frank" de Boer, Dutch football player and manager

    Surname

  • Hoke L. Franciscus, electronics researcher
  • James Franciscus, American actor
  • Steve Franciscus, Papua New Guinean rugby player