Franklin

Franklin meaning

Franklin is a Christian and international boy's name of English origin.

An English freeholder, a substantial householder

Also used to mean: free landholder, free man

Franklin began as a medieval English word for a freeholder, a landowner of free but not noble birth; Webster's dictionary of 1913 defines it as 'an English freeholder, or substantial householder'. The word is related to frank, 'free', and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales includes a Franklin's Tale. It became a surname and then a first name, helped by the American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin. In India it is used by Christian families in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), s.v. franklin · entry franklin · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), franklin

Famous namesakes

• Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and scientist

Popularity abroad

• #359 United States, boys 2025 (up 29 from 388 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #287 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Franklin · Franklyn

Related names

Also starting with Fra-

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