View Message

I think it might be considered hipsterish by Nameberry because the sound of it is unfashionable - not because it is fashionable, like Atticus or Isla are. I'd say Francis and Frankie are more hipster, while Frank is more retro and risky (not really in a good way, but it benefits from some famous bearers). I think Frank is in the same league as Walter and Arthur and Fred - way, way out of style, but common enough and dignified enough, and not so fashion-driven that it makes a statement like "I'm so cool, I can carry off a name from a glamorous past era, that you had forgotten existed."

---

I thought long and hard about naming my son Francis, because it's a family name and I really like it. But my husband would not have wanted to call him Francis. So I was looking at Frankie (has greasy 50s stereotype I don't like) and Frank (which to me is a fusty old man name like Earl or Wayne, since it was the name my uncle and grandfather went by). So, Francis got taken off my shortlist.

---

I've seen one young man with the name Francis on his name tag. I've not run across any young Franks or Frankies at all. I think it's fairly infrequent still.

This message was edited 2/27/2012, 7:20 PM