Frank
Meaning: Its source is an Ancient Germanic expression meaning "A Frenchman."
Languages: This boy's name is used in German, Dutch and English.
Nicknames: Frankie
Compound Forms: Frank-Peter
Non-English Forms: Franck
Popularity: The name Frank ranked 215th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 31st in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.
Narrative: The Franks, a Germanic tribe that conquered the territory now known as France in the 6th century, most likely derived their name from their favorite weapon, a type of spear called a franca. The right to carry that weapon may have indicated full membership in the tribe.
They also might have considered this the privilege of a ''free man,'' and this is yet another interpretation of the name.
Arts and Music
- Frank King (born 1883, died 1969)
American cartoonist.
- Gasoline Alley (see list of Cartoonists)
- Frank ''PeeWee'' King
- Country Music Hall of Fame (see list of Country Music Hall of Fame)
- Frank Forster Renwick
- A member of the International Photography Hall of Fame (see list of International Photography Hall of Fame)
- Frank Sinatra (born 1915, died 1998)
American singer and actor.
- Three-time Grammy winner for best male vocal performance: 1959 for ''''Come Dance with Me''''; 1965 for ''''It Was a Very Good Year''''; and 1966 for ''''Strangers in the Night'''' (see list of Grammy winners for Best Vocal Performance)
- Frank Stella (born 1936)
American painter.
- Painted Lo Sciocco Senza Paura (The Fearless Fool) (see list of 20th-century Contemporary Artists)
- Frank Willard (born 1893, died 1958)
American cartoonist.
- Moon Mullins (see list of Cartoonists)
- Frank Lloyd Wright (born 1867, died 1959)
American architect known for his influential ''Prairie style'' designs.
- 1949 American Institute of Architects gold medal winner (see list of Winners of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal)
- Designed New York City''s Guggenheim Museum (see list of Miscellaneous Architects)
- Frank Zappa (born 1940, died 1993)
American musician.
- Member of the Playboy Music Hall of Fame (see list of Playboy Music Hall of Fame)
- Musical guest on ''''Saturday Night Live'''' (see list of Musical Guests on ''Saturday Night Live'')
- Guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer whose work blended jazz, rock and classical influences (see list of Critics' Picks for the Jazz Hall of Fame)
- Versatile guitarist (see list of Guitarists)
Leadership
- Frank X. Altimari
American judge.
- Senior Circuit Judge, Second Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Frank V. Cahouet
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Mellon Bank Corp. (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Frank H. Easterbrook
American judge.
- Circuit Judge, Seventh Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Frank C. Herringer
- CEO of Fortune 500 company TransAmerica (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Frank M. Hull
American judge.
- Circuit Judge, Eleventh Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Frank B. Kellogg (born 1858, died 1937)
American statesman who negotiated the Kellogg Pact, an anti-war treaty signed by 15 nations on August 27, 1928.
- 1929 Nobel Prize winner for Peace (see list of Nobel Peace Prize Winners)
- Frank N. Liguori
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Olsten (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Frank A. McPherson
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Kerr-McGee (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Frank Murphy (born 1890, died 1949)
American lawyer and politician.
- U.S. Supreme Court justice, 1940-49 (see list of U.S. Supreme Court Justices)
- Frank Newman
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Eckerd (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Bankers Trust N.Y. Corp. (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Frank A Shrontz
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Boeing (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Frank Sinatra (born 1915, died 1998)
American singer and actor.
- The most popular singer of his generation (see list of Twenty pioneers of human expression who enlightened and enlivened the people of the 20th century)
- Frank W. Woolworth (born 1852, died 1919)
American merchant.
- Founder of the famous ''''five and dime'''' chain stores bearing his name. (see list of Miscellaneous Business Leaders)
Miscellaneous
- Frank Boice
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Frank Borman (born 1928)
American astronaut; later president of Eastern Airlines.
- 1968 Time Magazine Man of the Year (see list of Time Magazine's Man of the Year Honorees)
- J. Frank Dobie
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- 1964 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Frank R. Gooding
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Frank Johnson
American judge known for his involvement in landmark civil-rights cases.
- 1995 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Frank H. Johnston (born 1888, died 1949)
Canadian illustrator and landscape painter.
- Born in Toronto, Ontario (see list of Famous Canadians)
- Frank Keogh
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Frank J. North
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Frank Reynolds (born 1923, died 1983)
American TV news anchor.
- 1985 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Frank Miles Rothrock
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Frank Sinatra (born 1915, died 1998)
American singer and actor.
- 1985 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
Science and Philosophy
- Frank M. Andrews
American general; commander of the U.S. Army Air Corps in the 1930s.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Frank Borman (born 1928)
American astronaut; later president of Eastern Airlines.
- Astronaut on Gemini 7 (1965), Apollo 8 (1968) (see list of Spaceflight Veterans)
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Frank K. Everest
U.S. Air Force colonel; early supersonic fighter pilot.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Frank Luke, Jr.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Frank L. Culbertson, Jr.
American astronaut.
- Astronaut on Atlantis (1990), Discovery (1993) (see list of Spaceflight Veterans)
- Frank P. Lahm
A balloon and dirigible pilot for the U.S. Army.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Frank Press (born 1924)
American geophysicist and presidential advisor, 1977-80.
- 1994 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Frank W. Taussig (born 1859, died 1940)
American economist and educator.
- Wrote Wages and Capital (see list of Economists)
- Frank H. Westheimer (born 1912)
American chemist.
- 1986 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
Sports
- Frank Ashley
Skier.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1977 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
- Frank Baker
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank ''Home Run'' Baker
Baseball player.
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Frank Benkovic
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank Briell
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank Brimsek
Hockey player.
- 1939, 1942 Vezina Trophy winner (see list of Vezina Trophy Winners)
- 1939 Calder Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Calder Memorial Trophy Winners)
- Frank Bulkley
Skier.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1978 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
- Frank Caruana
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank Chance
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Frank Clause
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank Dancewicz
American football player.
- 1946 National Football League number-one draft pick (see list of Football #1 Draft Picks)
- Frank Esposito
- Member of the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame (see list of Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame)
- Frank Foss
American athlete.
- 1920 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for Pole Vault (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Field Events)
- Selee Frank (born 1859)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Frank Frisch
American baseball manager.
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Frank Gatski
- Elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1985 (see list of Professional Football Hall of Fame)
- Frank Gifford
American football player and sports commentator.
- Elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1977 (see list of Professional Football Hall of Fame)
- Frank Goodale
Jockey.
- 1894 Kentucky Derby winner (see list of Jockeys Who Have Won the Kentucky Derby)
- P. Frank Hadow
- 1878 Wimbledon tennis champion (see list of Wimbledon Tennis Champions)
- Frank Howard
Baseball player.
- 1960 National League Rookie of the Year (see list of National League Rookies of the Year)
- Frank Kartheiser
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank W. Keaney
American basketball coach.
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Frank ''Bruiser'' Kinard
- Elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1971 (see list of Professional Football Hall of Fame)
- Frank Kriz
American athlete.
- 1924 Olympic gymnastics gold medal winner for Horse Vault (see list of Gold Medalists in Individual Gymnastics Events)
- Frank Lockhart
Race-car driver.
- 1926 Indianapolis 500 winner (see list of Indianapolis 500 Winners)
- Frank Loomis
American athlete.
- 1920 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for 400m Hurdles (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Hurdles)
- Frank Mahovlich
Hockey player.
- 1958 Calder Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Calder Memorial Trophy Winners)
- Frank J. Marshall
- 1909-36 U.S. Chess champion (see list of United States Chess Champions)
- Frank McCool
Hockey player.
- 1945 Calder Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Calder Memorial Trophy Winners)
- Frank McCormick
Baseball player.
- 1940 National League Most Valuable Player (see list of National League Most Valuable Players)
- Frank McGuire
American basketball coach.
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Frank Nighbor
Hockey player.
- 1924 Hart Trophy winner (see list of Hart Trophy Winners)
- Frank Parker
American tennis player.
- 1944-45 U.S. Open tennis champion (see list of U.S. Open Tennis Champions)
- 1948-49 French Open tennis champion (see list of French Open Tennis Champions)
- Frank Pasdeloup
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank Piccard
French athlete.
- 1988 Olympic alpine skiing gold medal winner for Super Giant Slalom (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Downhill Skiing)
- Frank Ramsey
American basketball player.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Frank Robinson
American baseball player.
- 1961, 1966 National League Most Valuable Player (see list of National League Most Valuable Players)
- 1956 National League Rookie of the Year (see list of National League Rookies of the Year)
- 1966 American League Most Valuable Player (see list of American League Most Valuable Players)
- 1966 World Series Most Valuable Player (see list of World Series Most Valuable Players)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- 1966 Associated Press Athlete of the Year (see list of Associated Press Athletes of the Year)
- Frank Schulte
Baseball player.
- 1911 National League Most Valuable Player (see list of National League Most Valuable Players)
- Frank Sedgman
- 1951-52 U.S. Open tennis champion (see list of U.S. Open Tennis Champions)
- 1952 Wimbledon tennis champion (see list of Wimbledon Tennis Champions)
- 1949-50 Australian Open tennis champion (see list of Australian Open Tennis Champions)
- Frank Shorter
American athlete.
- 1972 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for Marathon (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Track Events)
- Frank Sinkwich
American football player.
- 1943 National Football League number-one draft pick (see list of Football #1 Draft Picks)
- 1942 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner (see list of Heisman Trophy Winners)
- 1942 Associated Press Athlete of the Year (see list of Associated Press Athletes of the Year)
- Frank Spellman
American athlete.
- 1948 Olympic weightlifting gold medal winner for 75kg (see list of Olympic gold medalists in weightlifting)
- Frank Thoma
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
- Frank Thomas
Baseball player.
- 1993-94 American League Most Valuable Player (see list of American League Most Valuable Players)
- 1997 American League Batting Champion (see list of American League Batting Champions)
- Frank Ulrich
German athlete.
- 1980 Olympic Nordic skiing gold medal winner for 10km Biathlon (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Cross-country Skiing)
- Frank Viola
Baseball player.
- 1988 American League Cy Young Award winner (see list of American League winners of the Cy Young Award)
- 1987 World Series Most Valuable Player (see list of World Series Most Valuable Players)
- Frank Willoughby
Skier.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1994 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
- Frank Zuna
American runner.
- 1921 Boston Marathon champion (see list of Boston Marathon Winners)
Stage and Screen
- Frank Alberston
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank C. Baxter
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Borzage (born 1893, died 1962)
American director, actor, writer and producer.
- Two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director: 1928, for Seventh Heaven; 1932, for Bad Girl (see list of Oscar Winners for Best Director)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Burns
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Larry Linville (see list of Characters on ''M*A*S*H*'')
- Frank Capra (born 1897, died 1991)
Italian-American writer, director and producer.
- Three-time Academy Award winner for Best Director: 1934, for It Happened One Night; 1936, for Mr. Deeds Goes to Town; 1938, for You Can''t Take It With You (see list of Oscar Winners for Best Director)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Cooper
Fictional character.
- Character on the soap opera ''''Guiding Light'''' (see list of Characters on ''Guiding Light'')
- Frank Costanza
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Jerry Stiller (see list of Characters on ''Seinfeld'')
- Frank Crumit
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Radio Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Fay
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Radio Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Faylen (born 1907, died 1985)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Fontana
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Joe Regalbuto (see list of Characters on ''Murphy Brown'')
- Frank
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Micil Murphy (see list of Characters in the film Take the Money and Run)
- Frank Y. Freeman
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Capt. Frank Furillo
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Daniel J. Travanti (see list of Characters on ''Hill Street Blues'')
- Frank Kittredge
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Michael Cumpsty (see list of Characters on ''L.A. Law'')
- Frank Lloyd (born 1888, died 1960)
Scottish director and producer, one of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- Two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director: 1929, for The Divine Lady; 1933, for Cavalcade (see list of Oscar Winners for Best Director)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Lorenzo
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Vincent Gardenia (see list of Characters on ''All in the Family'')
- Frank Lovejoy (born 1914, died 1962)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Luther
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Morgan (born 1890, died 1949)
American actor best known for his film portrayal of the Wizard of Oz. Original name: Francis Phillip Wupperman.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Radio Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Nelson
- Portrayed Ralf Ramsey (see list of Actors on ''I Love Lucy'')
- Frank Parker
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Radio Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Actor on soap opera ''''Days of Our Lives'''' (see list of Performers on ''Days of Our Lives'')
- Frank Sinatra (born 1915, died 1998)
American singer and actor.
- 1983 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
- 1953 Academy Award winner for his performance in From Here to Eternity (see list of Oscar Winners for Best Supporting Actor)
- On Hollywood''s Footprints of Fame (see list of Celebrities Honored by Mann's Chinese Theater)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Frank Smith
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Herb Ellis (1952) and Ben Alexander (1953-59) (see list of Characters on ''Dragnet'')
- Frank Stephens
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Robert F. Simon and Roy Roberts (see list of Characters on ''Bewitched'')
The Literary World
- L. Frank Baum (born 1856, died 1919)
American fantasy writer, journalist and playwright.
- Wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (see list of Prose Writers of the 20th Century)
- Frank Buxton
- 1924 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Writing (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing)
- Frank I. Cobb
- 1924 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Writing (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing)
- Frank Conniff
- 1956 Pulitzer Prize winner for International Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting)
- Frank Cushing
- 1948 Pulitzer Prize winner for Spot News Photography (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography)
- Frank Dodd
Fictional character.
- A police officer who commits suicide in Stephen King''s novel Cujo (see list of Characters in Cujo)
- Frank Diehl Fackenthal
- 1948 recipient of a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation (see list of Winners of a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation)
- Frank Filan
- 1944 Pulitzer Prize winner for Spot News Photography (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography)
- Frank D. Gilroy (born 1925)
American playwright.
- 1965 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, for The Subject Was Roses (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
- Frank Gilroy (born 1925)
American playwright and novelist.
- Wrote The Subject Was Roses (see list of Prose Writers of the 20th Century)
- Frank Peters, Jr.
- 1972 Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism)
- Frank Kennedy
Fictional character.
- One of Scarlett''s husbands in Margaret Mitchell''s Gone with the Wind (see list of Characters in Literature of the American South)
- Frank Loesser (born 1910, died 1969)
American composer.
- 1962 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
- Frank McCourt
- 1997 Pulitzer Prize winner for Biography/Autobiography, for Angela''s Ashes: A Memoir (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography)
- Frank Miller
- 1963 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Cartooning (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning)
- Frank Luther Mott
- 1939 Pulitzer Prize winner for History, for A History of American Magazines (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for History)
- Frank Noel
- 1943 Pulitzer Prize winner for Spot News Photography (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography)
- Frank M. O'Brien
- 1922 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Writing (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing)
Teasing Nicknames:
- Frankenstein
- Franky Panky
- Frankfurter
- Franky Wanky
-
Ball Park Frank
In reference to a brand of hot dogs.
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- Footer
- Frank 'n Beans
- Cranky Frank
- Frank N. Furter (from the Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Meaning: Its source is an Ancient Germanic expression meaning "French person."
Nickname For: Frances
Popularity: The name Frank ranked 2691st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.
Narrative: The Franks, a Germanic tribe that conquered the territory now known as France in the 6th century, most likely derived their name from their favorite weapon, a type of spear called a franca. The right to carry that weapon may have indicated full membership in the tribe.
They also might have considered this the privilege of a ''free man,'' and this is yet another interpretation of the name.
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