How Many People Are Named Frances?
An estimated 151,447 people in the United States have the first name Frances. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #355 overall. It is predominantly female (99.2%). The average bearer is 66 years old, and Frances peaked in popularity in 1918 with 16,228 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Frances as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Frances paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Frances is overwhelmingly female, 5,017 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 66, Frances is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1970.
- Frances has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
151,447
About 1 in 2,263 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
99.2% confidence
Average Age
66
years old
Peak Year
1918
16,228 births
Total Registered
599,746
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Frances
Frances is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 599,746 total births registered, 99.2% were female.
Frances as a male name
Ranked #9,247 in 2024
8 male births in 2024
Peak: 1928 (140 births)
Frances as a female name
Ranked #379 in 2024
821 female births in 2024
Peak: 1918 (16,131 births)
Frances: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Frances span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 141,498 babies were registered. Frances has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Frances by Decade
How has Frances tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 9,321 | 139 | 9,182 | |
| 1890s | 18,245 | 155 | 18,090 | |
| 1900s | 28,721 | 222 | 28,499 | |
| 1910s | 106,323 | 724 | 105,599 | |
| 1920s | 141,498 | 1,107 | 140,391 | |
| 1930s | 93,043 | 925 | 92,118 | |
| 1940s | 85,953 | 506 | 85,447 | |
| 1950s | 51,603 | 403 | 51,200 | |
| 1960s | 25,268 | 268 | 25,000 | |
| 1970s | 11,514 | 174 | 11,340 | |
| 1980s | 8,655 | 166 | 8,489 | |
| 1990s | 6,179 | 111 | 6,068 | |
| 2000s | 4,012 | 53 | 3,959 | |
| 2010s | 5,503 | 37 | 5,466 | |
| 2020s | 3,908 | 27 | 3,881 | |
Frances by State
Birth registrations for Frances span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas. The lowest are in Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming. On average, about 10,550 Francess were registered per state.
Frances + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Frances as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Frances
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
Frances: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Frances?
We estimate approximately 151,447 people named Frances are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,263 Americans share this first name.
Is Frances a common name?
Frances is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 599,746 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Frances most popular?
Frances reached peak popularity in 1918, when 16,228 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Frances is approximately 66 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Frances a female name?
Frances is predominantly female. 99.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Frances Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Frances Smith, Frances Johnson, Frances Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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