Francesco

Francesco m

Italian: originally a vocabulary word meaning ‘French’ or ‘Frenchman’ (Late Latin Franciscus; cf. FRANK (SEE Frank)). This was a nickname given to St Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) because of his wealthy father's business connections in France. His baptismal name was GIOVANNI (SEE Giovanni). He had a pleasant, ordinary life as a child and young man, but after two serious illnesses, a period of military service, and a year as a prisoner of war in Perugia, he turned from the world and devoted himself to caring for the poor and the sick. He was joined by groups of disciples, calling themselves ‘minor friars’ (friari minores). The main features of the Franciscan rule are humility, poverty, and love for all living creatures. In his honour the various vernacular forms of Francesco came to be commonly used as given names from the 13th century onwards in France, Spain, and elsewhere as well as Italy.

Variant: FRANCO (SEE Franco).

Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Proinsias. Scottish Gaelic: Frang. Spanish, Portuguese: Francisco. Catalan: Francesc. Basque: Patxi. French: FRANÇOIS (SEE François). English: FRANCIS (SEE Francis). German: FRANZ (SEE Franz). Polish: Franciszek. Czech: František. Hungarian: Ferenc. Finnish: Ransu.

Pet forms: Scottish Gaelic: Frangan. Spanish: Frascuelo, Frasquito, Paco, Pancho, Paquito, Curro. Basque: Patxi.

Feminine forms: see FRANCESCA (SEE Francesca), FRANCES (SEE Frances).