Frank (given name) explained

Frank
Gender:	Male
Meaning:	from the name of the Franks
Language origin:	Old High German
Related Names:	Francis, François, Francesco, Francisco, Francisc, Franciszek, Ferenc, Franklin, Franco, Frankie, Franjo, Frans, Franz, František

Frank 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).

People with the given name

In politics

Frank Wolf (1939 --), American Politician

In arts

Frank Frazetta (1928–2010), American fantasy and science fiction artist
Frank Hunter (photographer) (born 1947), American photographer
Frank Lynn Jenkins (1870–1927), British sculptor
Frank Marshall (photographer) (born 1985), South African photographer
Frank Miles (1852–1891), British artist
Frank O'Hara (1926-1966), American writer, poet, and art critic
Frank Stella (born 1936), American painter and printmaker
Frank Thomas (animator) (1912–2004), one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as the Nine Old Men

In architecture

Frank Furness (1839-1912), American architect
Frank Gehry (born 1929)
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959)

In comics

Frank Bellamy (1917–1976), British comics artist
Frank Brunner (born 1949), American comics artist
Frank Cirocco (born 1956), American comics artist
Frank Giacoia (1924–1988), American comics artist
Frank Le Gall (born 1959), French comics author
Frank Madsen (born 1962), Danish comics artist
Frank Margerin (born 1952), French comics author
Frank Miller (born 1957), American comics author
Frank Pé (born 1956), Belgian comics author
Frank Springer (1929–2009), American comics artist
Frank Thomas (comics) (1914–1968), American cartoonist; creator of The Eye
Frank Tieri, American comics writer

In film and television

Frank Borzage (1894–1962), American film director and actor
Frank Caliendo (born 1974), American comedy actor, impressionist and comedian, host of the television show Frank TV
Frank Capra (1897–1991), American film director
Frank Delfino (1911-1997), American actor
Frank Elstner (born 1942), German television presenter
Franky G (born 1965), American film and television actor
Frank Gorshin (1933–2005), American actor and comedian from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Frank Marshall (producer) (born 1946) American film producer
Frank Morgan (1890-1949), American character actor
Frank Muller (1951–2008), Dutch audio book narrator and actor
Frank Oz (born 1944), American actor and puppeteer
Frank Skinner (born 1957), British comedian
Frank Somerville (born 1958), American news anchor
Frank M. Thomas (1889–1989), American actor
Frank Twomey (1950s–2023), the man from Irish children's television programme Bosco
Frank Vincent (1937-2017), American actor
Frank Welker (born 1946), American voice actor
Frank Whaley (born 1963), American actor

In literature

Frank Chin (born 1940), Chinese-American author
Frank Conniff (born 1958), American actor and writer who portrayed TV's Frank
Frank Harris (1885-1931), Irish American journalist and autobiographer
Frank Herbert (1920–1986), science fiction writer, author of the Dune series
Frank Lebby Stanton (1857–1927), American lyricist
Frank McCourt (1930–2009), Irish-American writer

In music

Frank Beard (musician) (born 1949), drummer for ZZ Top
Frank Bello (born 1965), American bassist of thrash metal band Anthrax
Frank Michael Beyer (1928-2008), German composer
Frank Black (born 1965), American musician
Frank Bridge (1879–1941), English composer
Frank Corcoran (born 1944), Irish composer
Frank Farian (born 1941), German songwriter and producer
Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr (1958 --), American Musician, aka Nikki Sixx
Frank Ferko (born 1950), American composer
Frank Gambale (born 1958), Australian jazz fusion guitarist
Frank Iero (born 1981), rhythm guitarist for the band My Chemical Romance and lead singer for the band Leathermouth
Frank Klepacki (born 1974), American video game music composer
Frank La Rocca (born 1951), American composer
Frank Lewin (1925–2008), American composer
Frank Loesser (1910–1969), American songwriter
Frank Marino (born 1954), Canadian guitarist and hard rock band leader
Frank Marshall (pianist) (1883–1959), Spanish pianist and pedagogue
Frank Martin (1890–1974), Swiss composer
Frank Ocean (born 1987), American musician
Frank Proto (born 1941), American composer and bassist
Frank Ricotti (born 1949), English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist
Frank Sinatra (1915–1998), American singer and actor
Frank Slay (1930–2017), American songwriter, record producer
Frank Ticheli (born 1958), American composer
Frank Turner (born 1981), British folk/punk singer songwriter
Frank Edwin Wright III (known as Tre Cool, born 1972), drummer of the band Green Day
Frank Zander (born 1942), German singer and actor
Frank Zappa (1940–1993), American musician and composer

In radio

Frank Sontag (born 1955), talk radio host

In sports

Frank Abercrombie (1850–1939), American baseball player
Frank Abruzzino (1908–1986), American football player
Frank Albrechtsen New Zealand association football player
Frank Bahret (1858–1888), American baseball player
Frank Bartley (born 1994), American basketball player for Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Frank Beltre (born 1990), American football player
Frank Broers (born 1977), Dutch football player
Frank Bruno (born 1961), British WBC heavyweight boxing champion
Frank Buttery (1851–1902), American baseball player
Frank Bykowski (1915–1985), American football player
Frank Crum, American football player
Frank Darby (born 1997), American football player
Frank Dehne (born 1976), German volleyball player
Frank Dueckerhoff (born 1962), German ice hockey defenceman
Frank Fleet (1848–1900), American baseball player
Frank Francisco (born 1979), Dominican baseball player
Frank David Gaviria (born 2001), Colombian footballer
Frank Gifford (1930–2015), American football player
Frank Ginda (born 1997), American football player
Frank Giorgi (born 1981), Australian kickboxer
Frank Greenleaf (1877–1953), Canadian sports administrator
Frank Hassell (born 1988), American basketball player
Frank Henry (cricketer) (dates unknown), English cricketer
Frank Herron (born 1994), American football player
Frank Hood (1908–1955), American football player
Frank Howard (1936–2023), American baseball player
Frank Jacobsson (1930–2017), Swedish football player
Frank Kaminsky (born 1993), American basketball player
Frank Kooiman (born 1970), Dutch football player
Frank Lampard (born 1978), English football player
Frank Leatherwood (born 1977), American football player
Frank Simmons Leavitt (1891–1953), professional wrestler, stuntman, and actor, known by his ring name Man Mountain Dean
Frank Liivak (born 1996), Estonian football player
Frank Mahoney (1901–1961), American football player
Frank Manumaleuga (1956–2022), American football player
Frank Marshall (footballer, born 1904) (1904–1928), Scottish association football player
Frank Marshall (footballer, born 1929), English association football player and coach
Frank Marshall (umpire) (1858–1???), American professional baseball umpire
Frank Marshall (rugby referee), 19th century
Frank Matteo (1896-1983), American football player
Frank McConnell (1887–1933), Canadian athlete
Frank McPhee (American football) (1931–2011), American football player
Frank Mill (born 1958), German football player
Frank Minini (1921–2005), American football player
Frank Mir (born 1979), American mixed martial artist
Frank Moreno (born 1965), Cuban judoka
Frank Müller (born 1968), German decathlete
Frank Mundy (1918–2009), former NASCAR Cup Series driver
Frank Nasworthy, American surfing and skateboarding enthusiast, introduced the urethane skateboard wheel and founded Cadillac Wheels Company
Frank Patrick (running back) (1915–1992), American football player
Frank Patrick (quarterback) (born 1947), American football player
Frank Patrick (ice hockey) (1885–1960), Canadian ice hockey player
Frank-Paul Nu'uausala (born 1987), New Zealand Rugby League player
Frank Pritchard (born 1983), Australian-New Zealand Rugby League player
Frank Ragnow (born 1996), American football player
Frank Reich (born 1961), American football player and coach
Frank Rijkaard (born 1962), Dutch football player and manager
Frank Robinson (1935–2019), Hall of Fame North American baseball player and manager
Frank Sandercock (1887–1942), a Canadian ice hockey administrator
Frank Sargent (sports executive) (1902–1988), a Canadian sports executive in ice hockey and curling
Frank Sinclair (born 1971), English-born Jamaican football player
Frank Spellacy (1901–1960), American football player
Frank Spellman (1922–2017), Olympic champion weightlifter
Frank Tanana (born 1953), American baseball pitcher
Frank Thomas (American football) (1898–1954)
Frank Thomas (designated hitter) (born 1968), Major League Baseball player in the American League from 1990 to 2008
Frank Thomas (outfielder), (1929–2023) Major League Baseball player in the National League from 1951 to 1966
Frank Trigilio (1919–1992), American football player
Frank van Hattum (born 1958), New Zealand association football player
Frank Vogel (born 1973), American basketball coach
Frank Williams (Formula One) (1942–2021), British racing car driver and founder of the Williams Formula One team

Other

Frank Abagnale (born 1948), former confidence trickster, check forger, skilled impostor and escape artist
Frank Adams (1930–1989), British mathematician
Frank Amato (1942–1980), Sicilian-American mafioso
Frank Bainimarama (born 1954), Commander of the Fijian Military Forces, Interim Prime Minister and convicted criminal
Frank Barnett (1933–2016), 49th Governor of American Samoa
Frank Baude (1936–2021), Swedish politician
Frank Borman (born 1928), former NASA astronaut (Gemini 7, Apollo 8)
Frank Bossard (1912–2001), Secret Intelligence Service agent convicted of spying for the USSR
Frank Buchman (1878-1961), American evangelist
Frank Buckles (1901–2011), United States Army corporal and the last surviving American military veteran of World War I
Frank C. Calkins (1878–1974), American geologist
Frank Cali (1965–2019), American crime boss
Frank Caprio (born 1936), American jurist
Frank T. Caprio (born 1966), American politician
Frank Cooper (politician) (1872–1949), Australian politician
Frank Cooper III, business executive, branded entertainment leader
Frank de Silva (born 1935), Inspector-General of Sri Lanka Police from 1993-1995
Frank Dobson (1940–2019), British politician
Frank DeSimone (1909–1967), Italian American mobster
Frank Di Mauro (born 1973), co-founder of Bookitbee
Frank Marcus Fernando (1931–2009), 3rd Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chilaw
Frank Graves (born 1952), Canadian pollster
Frank Grevil (born 1960), Danish whistleblower
Frank Hastings Griffin (1886-1975), American chemist who invented Rayon
Frank Heart (1929–2018), American computer engineer and Internet pioneer
Frank Avery Hutchins (1851-1914), American educator and librarian
Frank Ebenezer Hill (1880–1932), American Medal of Honor recipient
Frank K. Houston (1881-1973), president and chairman of the Chemical Corn Exchange Bank in the 1940s.
Frank James (1843–1915), 19th-century outlaw and member of the James-Younger Gang
Frank Jenner (1903–1977), English Australian evangelist
Frank E. Kane (born 1932), Canadian politician
Frank Larkin, disability rights activist
Frank Charles Laubach (1884–1970), Congregational Christian missionary and mystic
Frank Laukien, American billionaire businessman
Franz Lenck (died 1931), German murder victim
Frank J. Low (1933–2009), American physicist
Frank Lowy (born 1930), Australian businessman
Frank Marshall (chess player) (1877–1944), American chess master
Frank J. Marshall (engineer), investment banker and former engineer V.P. of Cisco
Frank Marshall, Baron Marshall of Leeds (1915–1990), British lawyer and politician
Frank Marshall (priest), Dean of Barbados
Frank Mockler (1909–1993), 47th Governor of American Samoa
Frank Oberle Jr. (born 1957), Canadian politician
Frank Oberle Sr. (born 1932), Canadian politician
Frank Pearson (1937–2003), British drag queen known as Foo Foo Lammar
Frank Schilling (born 1970), domain name and Internet investor
Frank Smith (psycholinguist), British psycholinguist
Frank van Kappen (born 1941), Dutch soldier and politician
Frank Vitkovic, murderer in the Queen Street massacre in Melbourne in 1987
Frank Wassenberg (born 1966), Dutch politician
Frank E. Wheelock (1863–1932), a founder and first mayor of Lubbock, Texas
Frank T. M. White (1909–1971), Australian mining and metallurgical engineer and mineral science educator.

Notes and References

Ernst Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856), 413.