Franklin

Franklin derives from the Middle English surname Frankelyn, itself from the Anglo-French fraunclein, meaning a freeholder — a landowner of free but not noble birth, from the Medieval Latin francus, meaning free. The name gained widespread use as a given name in the English-speaking world, largely in honor of American statesman Benjamin Franklin, whose influence on science and politics made him a celebrated figure in the eighteenth century. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, further reinforced the name's associations with leadership and public service. Frank and Frankie serve as common short forms, and the name is also used in Brazilian Portuguese-speaking communities.