Frank

Frank derives from the name of the Germanic tribe known as the Franks, who conquered Gaul in the early medieval period and gave their name to the region called Francia, modern France. The tribal name itself is believed to come from a Proto-Germanic root meaning free or freeman, reflecting the status the Franks held as free men in contrast to those under foreign rule. The name spread widely across medieval Europe through the prestige of the Frankish empire under rulers such as Charlemagne. It is also used as a short form of Francis and Franklin, and the Italian and Spanish cognate Franco remains common in southern Europe.