Frank
A surname that can come from the given name Frank, or from a medieval byname meaning “free” or “Frankish.”
The #499 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,587 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname has more than one likely source. In some families it comes from the personal name Frank, a short form of Francis, ultimately from Latin Franciscus. In others it may come from Old French or Middle English le frank, meaning “the free man,” or from a byname meaning “a Frank,” that is, someone of Frankish or French descent.
History
Medieval records show early bearers with forms such as le Franke, which supports the old byname explanation. Later, the surname also overlapped with the familiar forename Frank, so both sources may have contributed to the modern name. Related forms such as Franks and Frankes are common English variants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same word family behind Frank also gave English the adjective frank, in the sense of “free” or “open.”
From the historical record
“FRANEY. See Freyne. FRANK. FRANKS. FRANKES. The nursename Frank stands for Francis, Fran- ciscus, and this may be in some instances the origin of the surname. Lc Fraulc, however, appears in H.E., and may mean either "the free," an enfranchised man; or a " Franc," by nation. FRANKHAM. I find no sucli place as…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Frank
- Anne Frank (1929–1945)
- Ilya Frank (1908–1990)
- Hans Frank (1900–1946)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.