François

François is a masculine given name used in France and many Francophone regions. It derives from the Latin Franciscus, meaning “Francis” or “the Frank/ Frenchman,” and has long been associated with the Franks and, in some interpretations, with the idea of freedom. In medieval and early modern France, the form François became common, aided by the veneration of Saint Francis of Assisi, known in French as Saint François d’Assise, and by royal and literary usage.

The name remains popular in France, Belgium, Switzerland and many former French colonies, including Canada and parts of Africa and the Caribbean. The usual feminine form is Françoise; without the cedilla under the c, it may be written Francois in non-French contexts. François also appears as a surname in some families.

Notable bearers include François Rabelais, the Renaissance writer; François Villon, the 15th‑century poet; François I of France (reigned 1515–1547) who helped foster the French Renaissance; François II (reigned 1559–1560); Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778); François Couperin, a Baroque composer; François Arago, a 19th‑century physicist; François Truffaut, a 20th‑century film director; François Mitterrand and François Hollande, presidents of France; François Bayrou, politician; and François Jacob, Nobel‑winning biologist.

In other languages, the equivalents are Francis (English), Francesco (Italian), and Francisco (Spanish); the feminine French form is Françoise.