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🦋 RareBoy nameMiddle English

Franklin

“Free landholder, freeman”

2 syllables · 8 letters

About the name Franklin

Franklin began as a medieval status word for a landowner who answered to nobody, and that whiff of independence never quite left it. It peaked hard during the Roosevelt years and now sits in the pleasant middle ground where a name feels distinguished rather than dated.

Franklin is a boy name of Middle English origin, pronounced FRANK-lin. On the NameRarity scale it scores 56 out of 100, which places it in the rare band — recognisable but seldom used. Distinctive without needing to be spelled out twice. Its strongest period was the 1930s.

Associated with
steadyprincipleddiligentgenial

Name facts at a glance

Meaning
Free landholder, freeman
Origin
Middle English
Gender
Boy
Pronunciation
FRANK-lin
Syllables
2
Letters
8
US rank
#500
Peak era
1930s
Rarity
56 / 100
Per million
~58
Starts with
F
Numerology
4 · The Builder

How popular is Franklin?

Popularity44/100
Rarity56/100

Franklin sits at approximately #500 in recent US rankings. Roughly 58 people per million carry it — about 1 in 17,241. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect not to find a single one.

Famous people named Franklin

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt
    32nd President of the United States
  • Franklin Pierce
    14th President of the United States

Spellings and variants of Franklin

FranklynFrancklinFrank

Names similar to Franklin

Uncommon

Brendan

BREN-dun

Prince

Irish (Gaelic)53% rare
Uncommon

Fletcher

FLETCH-er

Arrow-maker

English, via Old French53% rare
Rare

Forrest

FOR-ist

Of the woods, dweller near the forest

Old French64% rare
Uncommon

Frances

FRAN-siss

From France, or free one

Latin55% rare
Uncommon

Griffin

GRIF-in

Strong lord, from Gruffudd

Welsh49% rare
Rare

Quentin

KWEN-tin

Fifth, fifth-born

Latin67% rare
Ultra Rare

Torin

TOR-in

Chief, leader

Irish (Gaelic)91% rare
Rare

Ajit

uh-JEET

Unconquered, from Ajitanatha, the second Tirthankara

Sanskrit62% rare
Browse all 1,284 names →

Franklin — frequently asked questions

What does the name Franklin mean?

Franklin means "Free landholder, freeman". It is a name of Middle English origin, most often given to a boy.

How do you pronounce Franklin?

Franklin is pronounced FRANK-lin, with 2 syllables.

How rare is the name Franklin?

Franklin scores 56 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it rare. Roughly 1 in every 17,241 people carry it — about 58 per million.

What is the numerology number for Franklin?

Franklin carries the expression number 4, known as The Builder. Its soul urge number is 1 and its personality number is 3.

What is the lucky number and lucky colour for Franklin?

The lucky number for Franklin is 4 (with 13, 22, 31 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Deep Emerald. The traditional lucky day is Saturday and the associated gemstone is Emerald.

Is Franklin a popular name?

Franklin currently sits around rank #500 in the United States, and its strongest period was the 1930s.