Is Fran too feminine?

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Our first son will be called Francis I wish to shorten to Fran/Franny but have had several comments about it being too feminine.

what are your honest thoughts?

The only one I know of is Fran Healy from Travis.

I don't think Fran sounds particularly feminine and I really like it for a boy. I am Scottish though.

Please don't inflict Franny on him though. It will immediately get changed to Fanny when he reaches high school.

I know male and female Frans so would consider it unisex.

I would never use Franny/Tranny/Fanny though...... you could be condemning him to years of teasing

Francis is the male form, Frances is the female for those who seem confused!

The current pope is Francis (which means some people hear my daughter’s name and assume we are Catholic). I do know a small Italian Francisco called Franchie for short. When doing some family history research I came across a woman who had named her oldest son Francis, and her youngest daughter was Frances. Big age gap, but confusing!

I think you can have a male Fran short for Francis. But Franny would be a huge step too far for me as PP have said.

I'm in S.E England if it makes a difference. Francesca is quite popular round here so definitely the name would be more associated with girls but everyone knows Francis as a boys name so I think it's fine. Although as a name it's also open to being called Cissy which explain why it's not used very often.

Sorry I think of Francis as a feminine name even though I know it can be either, and you really run the risk of Franny which would be terrible!

You canny call a boy Franny

I agree with the added association of Franny with the Enid Blyton books being bowdlerized.

It’s a nickname so it doesn’t really matter. If he doesn’t like it he can switch to Frank(ie), Francis or something else entirely. As long as you’re happy to move with his preferences (which is the case for any name).

Name him Francis and call him Frank, then introduce Fran later on and see what they reaction is. TBH I love Fran. Frank was our second choice name but I do like Fran too. I've found that kids these days aren't prone to mock names like they used to in our generation.

I am Irish and know several, Fran, Franny and Fra's. Totally normal.

We had one https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament%5CMemblist.nsf/WAllMembersFlat/Logan,+Francis+(Fran)+Michael?opendocument

And at school with Francesca, aka Fran.

It is too much of a risk.

Franny and Fran most certainly are female names in the UK to the majority, I'd say - I suspect only less so in 'posher' circles.

You risk him being ashamed about his name, confused at some point as to why you'd not been aware, and him being mocked by bad kids and called a girl/gay/etc, and potentially the 'r' being left out.

Don't do it. That's my advice.

Names are super important.

It does sound feminine although I know one male Fran. Also know a female Fran and a male Frankie short for Francis.

They really aren't
When I met my DH I never once thought it remotely strange that he is called Fran. His parents are Irish, but I didn't know that at the time, and it still didn't seem weird to me
Maybe it's a generation thing

He was laughing about this thread, he is definitely very manly 😂

Not Franny - unless it organically evolved via his friends.
I've heard students from St Francis School calling their school Frannys. St Francis is male.

Francis is handsome.
Fran is fine. Fran the man.

And Franny to me will always be associated with Love Hate

I worked with a male Fran about 30 years ago. He was middle aged then. I haven't heard it used for a male before or since. Shouldn't stop you though, I rather like it.

I know a couple of male Frans, both 50s.

Frankie is a female name to me.

I think it's fine; there's a male Fran in line to the throne. I also knew a few Frannies growing up (Scotland), and as far as I was aware they never got called Fanny! Also Francie for older men but I guess that's too old-fashioned now. Seems avery recent thing to me that all Francises get called Frank now - where did the hard K come from?

Maybe OP it depends on what's culturally common in your area, but I'd not have a problem with it.

I know a male Fran, very much suits him.

Use Francis, lovely name, Fran or Frank fine if they stick. Franny not, though.

The only one I know of is Fran Healy from Travis

That was my first thought so - maybe it is more of a Scottish thing. Fran is usually a girl's name to me (the one I knew best was officially Francine).

Personally I don't think I would use Francis if I wasn't happy to use either the full Francis or Frank for short. They are the things he is most likely to get called by others.

My cousin is married to an Italian who's known as Fran, from Francesco.

I really like Fran for a boy.

Francie?

I've got a relative (male) called Fran, short for Francis. No.one to my knowledge has batted an eye lid on it

I've just remembered that an old friend's BIL is known as Fran.