Opinions on Francis over Frank

[Lexiestar6778]

I prefer Frank and would be the name day to day however DP likes Francis for the birth certificate but is it too feminine and would I be saddling my son with a feminine name.

Francis is gorgeous. Frank is OK.

I really like Francis. Really not keen on Frank.

Francis is a male name.
Frances is the female version.

Love it!

I prefer Francis or Frankie

Francis is a boys name.
Frank would be cute as a nn

Francis is a lovely name, Frank is it's diminutive.
I'd have Francis on the certificate but use Frank day to day. Gives your son the option to choose when he's an adult.

Both are fine. I prefer Francis. It's classy.

I’m with your DP! Francis on BC and Frank day-to-day.

I prefer Frank on the bc. I don’t think my teens would thank me for having Francis read out on the register in secondary school - I think they’d find it a bit wet sounding for their street cred!!

The only Frances I know is a girl. Said the same but the spelling is different so depends how you feel about it. Frank is certainly more masculine, and more easily leads to Frankie which I think is really sweet when they are little.

We called my daughter a long/ formal name and only ever use the short form of the name day to day (think like Elizabeth and Beth) and I have to say she doesn't much like it. She is still young but she gets annoyed by the long name and people default to it whenever her name is read of a list, letters home etc. At this stage I think she'd prefer that she just had a name thats her name like her brothers- which is used day to day the same as his birth certificate.

To me Frank is a nn so I would go with Francis on the bc; both are nice names but I prefer Francis.
I don't see it as feminine although you are right it does sound the same as Frances which is a favourite of mine.

Yes. I agree with previous people, Francis is the male version and Frances the female.
A few boys I knew growing up were named Francis but were always called Frankie. A girl Frances that I knew was called Fran or Frannie.

I'd always go for the full version to give the DC the option once they've grown up.

I detest a diminutive of my name, and have easily been able to default to the full version as an adult since that is what is on all my official paperwork.

I’ll be honest - 30 years ago at my comp, a Francis would have had teasing from some boys about having a girls name.

These days imo it’s unlikely to be an issue- I have met so many weird and wonderful names on young kids and quite a few boys with unisex ones. I really don’t think it’s a big deal anymore. Use Frank if you don’t really like Francis. But if you quite like it (I do - very French Kingly), then use Francis and give him the choice.

What is French Kingly? 😆

Francis is fine. Frank or Frankie is a good nn for it but I wouldn't use it just on its own.
Franklin would also work as the full name though

Oh dear, a pedant. Reminiscent of a French King (Francis I and II). What else could it mean?

My daughter is Frances and people often say "but that's a boys name" so definitely not too feminine! I chose it for its "strong woman" and non girly vibes

Also my dad is Francis (one of the reasons I chose it) and it definitely doesn't feel feminine, he was a very manly fireman. Personally I think the person owns the name not the name owns the person.

No way!!! I know at least from my experience (21 from the North of England) a male named Francis would have had the mickey taken out of his name non stop at school!!! Definitely a girls name to the younger generation (never even known a male with that name)

Frank is a full name and a lot better IMO

I prefer francis, but would do francis on the bc and then Frank daily in this situation

Or Franklin x

I prefer Francis but if you like frank go for it. To me it feels a bit old man but a lot of babies are being called it so that will probably change (I haven’t met any baby franks yet)

@Lexiestar6778 "t is it too feminine and would I be saddling my son with a feminine name"

Francis/Frances is one of the few genuinely unisex names. But anyway, giving girls boy's names is positively encouraged on here-why not the other way round?