Frank

Frank derives from the name of the Germanic tribe known as the Franks, who gave their name to the region of Francia and ultimately to the modern nation of France. The tribal name is thought to come from a Proto-Germanic root meaning free or freeman, possibly also connected to the Old High German word for the francisca, a type of throwing axe associated with Frankish warriors. The name spread widely across medieval Europe through the prestige of the Frankish kingdom and the fame of rulers such as Charlemagne, and it later gained the secondary sense of straightforward or candid in English, influenced by the medieval use of Frank to mean a free person. Related forms include Franco, Francesco, François, and Francis.