| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old High German |
| Meaning | from the name of the Franks |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Francis, François, Francesco, Francisco, Francisc, Franciszek, Ferenc, Franklin, Franco, Frankie, Franjo, Frans, Franz, František |
Frank /fræŋk/ is a masculine given name.
While Frank has been a European name in its own right, the given name in the English-speaking United States arose in the 20th century as a short form of the traditional common English variant Francis (which itself is a shortening of Franciscus, i.e. "the Frenchman", in reference to Saint Francis of Assisi). It was popularized particularly by Frank Sinatra (born Francis Albert Sinatra, 1915–1998).
The continental variant of Frank dates back to the Carolingian period in France and Germany (the early medieval Frankish Empire where originally Old Frankish was spoken by the elite). The Old High German form Francho, Franko is on record from the 8th century.[1] Hence also the English adjective frank (Middle English, from Old French franc, 12th century).