Francesca

This is a beautiful name but if you name your child this, PLEASE DON’T CALL THEM FRAN OR FRANNY. Use Chesca or maybe even Franchie.

Very beautiful name! I had a girl in my class named this and she went by Checka for short.

Cesca could be a nice nickname for it but I can’t stand Fran.

Francesca is a great name. I agree that Fran and Franny are not the most awesome nicknames. Cesca and Chess or Chessie are groovy alternatives...

Okay name but the nickname Fran is just hideous.

In my opinion, the name Francesca is as pretty as Francisca and Franziska.

My daughter's name is Francesca. People are absolutely crazy when they hear her name! Even at the hospital, the nurses kept telling me what a pretty name she has ❤️ It's simple but sophisticated, graceful, elegant, feminine, special. I wish no other girls are named this way, so that she can be unique, special when she goes to school.

I really like this name. I think it sounds beautiful and the meaning (Free/freedom) is super pretty.

Sophisticated, classy, elegant name.

This name is beautiful! Probably my favourite name ever, could be used for any age. It means 'Freedom' or 'free' which is lovely.

Beautiful.

I never liked the name Francesca. I have met a few girls with this name. A teacher who was really mean named one of her twin girls Francesca and she is known as Frilly. I think this name is just too ugly and old fashioned. Frilly, along with Frankie and Franny just seem like silly names, even for little kids.

It's very Roman Catholic sounding. Not bad!

I like Francesca and might use it for my first daughter but I hate the name Francis.

I love how classic, elegant and girly this name is. Another plus is that it’s uncommon and not as popular as other similar names (Isabella, Sophia, Olivia, etc.)

Francesca is quite nice. Not common, and rolls off the tongue very well. I pronounce this as frən-SEHS-kə. :)

I think it’s a lovely name for a girl. It’s so much more classy than Frances and it has lots of nickname possibilities. Yes, it does sound very Italian but it’s a name you could use even if your last name is Jones or Gonzalez. I knew a girl named Francesca in high school and she was smart, sweet, and popular. Everyone called her Frannie.

Frances is a much better name.

It's curious... I'm looking back in these comments at people who have such negative images of Francesca, and I'm struggling to remember whether I've actually ever met anyone by this name! There was a Frankie I knew in high school, which might have been short for Francesca; but since I never heard anyone call her anything other than Frankie - not even teachers on the first day - Frankie might actually have been her legal name.

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In any event, this is my favorite name of its family (though I do also like Frances and Francine), and Frankie is my favored nickname. My heritage is mostly Italian, though we're quite Americanized at this point (no longer speak the language); but Francesca is familiar enough that people will still know how to pronounce that first C. (I did see in print once the variant Franchesca - and while that *might* make sense in English, the Italian in me cringed hard.)

My first name is Francesca, I was named after my Italian great grandmother of the same name. As a small child growing up in New Jersey, I only ever encountered women of an elderly age and never young girls my age with my name. It felt rather lonesome at times, but as an adult, I feel very satisfied with my first name as it still remains, thankfully, uncommon in the USA. :)

I also have the name Franchesca however I've never been a big fan of it. I feel it sounds quite dated and gets a lot of bad responses (eg Frankenstein). It's also frequently mispronounced or misheard.

I personally love this name, as it is my own. However, I have only ever met one or two other people with the same name, although I am from the UK where it is apparently popular. I used to go by Chessy, or Franny/Cesca, however, now I have shortened it to Fran/Frannie because I prefer the sound of it.

Very elegant and I love the nickname Frankie!

People named Francesca pretend to like Dijon mustard so they seem sophisticated.

This is my name. I think it's a good name to have since it is not very common out here in the states. I also get a good response from many people when they first hear my name. :)

Meanwhile, it is my favorite name among other names.

It's not my favorite...

I think this name is quite pretty and it does ooze of elegance with that timeless charm that many people would like. An added bonus would be that it is not overused, at least in the States.

When I tell people my name is Francesca they discount everything I say and they don't take me seriously because the name is too flowery or too ethnic for them. I have been trolled at several internet forums when I used my real full name. If I introduce myself as Fran, then it sounds more serious or businesslike and I get a lot more respect.

To the comment below, I really don't see any reason for such a dislike for your name. Now granted no one is saying that your experiences are invalid. It is just, as a fellow Francesca, I can say that mine are completely different. Whenever I use Francesca, people do take my name seriously as opposed to Fran or Frankie as people used to call me when I was a child and teen. Now I work in the business world where I have received nothing but positive feedback on my forename. As my grandma used to say, 'The person makes the name and not the name making the person.'

My name is Francesca and I'm Italian. Here in Italy the most common nickname is Francy (Franchie) but my friends always call me Fra or Frency (Frenchie). I've never heard anyone saying "Franny" "Frankie" or "Chesca".

When I was at school nobody was called Francesca, [I am 66 now] I was the only one, my family always called me Chesca which I like but it seems to have changed to Chezz and now that I live in the Netherlands it is Chezzie, when I said Chesca they said Jessica and Francesca they said Francisca so Chezzie it is. My niece is named after me and also my grandniece, Little Chesca sounds lovely. I love the name now, I didn't when I was young though.

My name is Francesca and that's what I go by. I agree that most of the nicknames for Francesca are unattractive (however Cesca has a nice ring to it). Over the years when people have asked me for my nickname, I just tell them that I don't have one and prefer to just be called Francesca. Some people still try to slip a Fran or two in there which is a bit annoying. When I was little I hated my name. I remember that when I was in pre-school, everyone thought my name was Fran-Jessica, and that's what I was called the entire year. I've come to love my name now though. At home my family sometimes just calls me France (pronounced Francheh). My close friends jokingly call me Francho, which is often just shortened to Cho. But in all seriousness they call me Francesca just like everyone else. I've read from previous comments that Francesca is a name for rich, snobby girls that are bullies and think they are better than everyone. That couldn't be farther from the truth (at least for me) and also you're really overthinking this name thing. Because really, what's in a name anyway? It has nothing to do with the person behind it. And also people have commented that Francesca is an ethnic name that should only be given to someone of that ethnicity, same for going with other ethnic names. Well, I say name your kid whatever you want to name them. If your last name is Johnson and you want to name your kid Francesca, go for it. Who cares what anybody else thinks. Having a child is such a special moment in one's life and you should be able to name your kid whatever name you want to give them. Except hashtag, don't name your kid hashtag (it happened).

We named our twin daughter born 1/8/2018, Francesca Jo and we shall call her Frankie Jo. I hope she's not offended.

A very nice name, it seems rather nostalgic somehow.

Francy and nancy can be cute nicknames for it.

I actually like the name. It catches my attention in a good way.

Francesca is an Italian name passed down through generations in Italian families. I hate it when it's shortened, it sounds awful. Frannie is absolutely awful and Frankie sounds boyish. The male version of the name is Franco, which is again getting quite common with the British, yet a very old, traditional Italian name that is not used as much by the younger Italian generation. Preferring more newer modern names. I do think everyone has a choice to name whichever name they choose but some Italian or foreign names don't sound right with an English surname.

Hi my name's Francesca and I adore the name. My friends at school call me Frankie but I like being called Cesca. I think it's a really popular name, someone in my class is also called Francesca.

Francesca and Noobie is just a perfect love story! Last long~

It's a gorgeous name, but I haven't found a shortened version that I like. I knew a Francesca in high school who went by 'French'. My Mum thought that was the stupidest nickname and went on about it. Maybe Frankie? Maybe it would have to be a middle name so it didn't get shortened.

Francesca: a name only befitting rich white girls who go to private schools, bully the unpopular kids, and shop at Abercrombie & Fitch.

That's not true, my name is Francesca. I am not rich, I went to public school and I was bullied, not the other way around. I personally don't mind my name, however I don't feel it suits me. I HATE when people try to shorten it.

This name definitely sounds pretentious, and I'm not a snob at all, but I can't help but love the name Francesca anyway. :)

Francesca is a cute name with a bunch of cute nicknames to match. It is very elegant and classy. We can all have our own opinions here.

I want to like it, just seems.. pretentious to me. For some reason it makes me think of the word "fester". That and every Francesca I've ever known thought herself a bit better than other people. I'm sure they're some nice ones out there... somewhere.

Some rude and snobby girl called Francesca who keeps bragging that she is 25% Irish and 75% italian ruined this name for me. But I love it. Even the Italian pronunciation. It is beautiful.

-- MeinNameIstMelissa 5/24/2013

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I must agree with you, Melissa. The name is ruined for me, as well. Not to mention a particular book character from the Josefina American Girl series, of whom I held a sort of dislike for.

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All in all, I am not fond of this name. It sounds slightly pretentious, at least in the midst of the common, dull names of the US. (No offence).

This is my friend's name, she gets a lot of compliments on it. She goes by Frankie, but I call her Frannie sometimes, only because she hates it :P and she's Italian, so it works. But I disagree that this should only be used if you're Italian, I don't really think it matters, unlike Sophia and Isabella, which are overused and make parents sound like they're desperately trying to be Italian.

My first name is Francesca and I think it is a beautiful name. If my name wasn't Francesca, I would name my daughter it. My mom never liked Franny, Fran, or Frankie. Everyone always called me Cheska or Chesk.
Now everyone calls me Chess! I am Italian :) But I believe it is a pretty name!

This name is just... okay, I guess. Not a big favourite, but people always say it doesn't work on a pale-skinned, light-haired girl. I disagree, because I can easily imagine a pretty blonde Francesca.

Find it a bit masculine--it's taken from Francis, which I do like. I don't care for female names that are just distaff counterparts.

My name is Francesca Earth. I love it. Francesca means 'free', so my name is 'Free Earth' (which isn't surprising considering I have hippie parents). I used to get called Frannie, and I hated it. I still do. I get called Frankie and Franka by some people, which I don't mind. But for a few years now people have called me Free - I've gotta say it makes me happy. If you're having a girl, call her Francesca. It's such a great name. Oh and give her a cool middle name too..

This name is so pretty.

I've gotten called Fran-CHEST-Ca before... and if you didn't catch the definition: a tease suitable for both small and large chested females.

There are certain names from different parts of the world that simply do not suit someone who is not of the ethnicity and has a pairing last name... Italian is one of those. If you are not Italian, it simply will not fit... hugely ethnic.
Such as: Francesca Worthington. No. You need a name along the lines of: Francesca Giovannelli. Francesca Bocelli. Francesca Canalito. Francesca Rovigatti. Francesca Silvestri. Francesca Vaccaro.

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That goes along with German names, Russian, and Greek (among others). A Wolfgang Perrison? No. An Ekaterina White? No. Dietrich Keysin? No. Konstantinos Cooper? No, ma'am. Konstantinos Serantakos? Yes, sir. Wolfgang Gottlieb? Indeed. Dietrich Spielberg? Quite. Ekaterina Fyodorov. Yes.

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Your ethnicity is beautiful. I believe people need to connect more with their own, instead of adopting another. Simply my thoughts.

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... My dear bella, above. Please reconsider Francesca "Betheny". If you truly feel the need to use the name, try the Italian form of Elizabeth: Elisabetta, perhaps?

I respectfully disagree. You are being too general when you say that Russian, Greek and Italian names don't work in English. Francesca is widely recognised in the English speaking world because of a number of famous Francescas. It is not considered strange; any English person will easily pronounce this as 'fran-CHES-kah'. Francesca Worthington sounds fine to me. I can see how it might seem weird, seeing as the 'ce' wouldn't usually be pronounced 'cheh' but this name is an exception.
My name (Asuka - that's pronounced 'AHS-KAH') would probably look and sound quite 'out there' if I wasn't of the ethnicity and didn't have a surname that matched, but I know foreign names that contain elements commonly found in English names work just fine.
Consider the Italian name Lia. Lia Worthington, Lia Thomson, Lia Smith. That works. Why? Because to an English speaker, it is a variant of Leah - and one that won't be pronounced LAY-ah.
Caterina also works. Looks like Catrina, and Catherine - two familiar English names.
Now consider the Russian name Alisa. Alisa Worthington. Pretty! This works because it resembles English names like Lisa, Alicia and Alison.
And try Timothea, a Greek name. Looks like Timothy, so it works.
Most English-speaking parents are not going to go totally out there and name their child Yorgos or Wolfgang, you know. They just seek something that's easy to say and resembles English names but still has the charm of another country within it. Obviously Italian names like Ezio, Cesare and Durante won't work with English surnames because they don't agree with English phonetics, but Lia and Caterina are just fine. And English speakers seem to be able to put aside the urge to pronounce 'ce' as 'seh' solely for the name Francesca, so it's fine.

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Personally, I think this name has quite a classic sound but I can't really imagine it on a little girl. And I hate the nickname Fran. But I like the nicknames Cesca and Chessie.

I just love this name! It's so sweet and ladylike. It reminds me of roses and shy girls with red hair. I hope it doesn't become too overused by the time I come to the parenting age, I'd love to name a little girl Francesca Bethany!

Though Francesca is an obviously beautiful name. It can also be very unattractive. The most common tease is being called "Franklin" or "Frankenstein." Cesca/Cessie/Fran/Frannie/Fan/Fanny/Frenchie/etc are very unsightly nicknames, as well. Frankie I do actually like. But here we go again to the "Franklin/Frankenstein" insult.

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I've dealt with teasing problems all my life, so I know how to fire it back at them or to just completely tune it out.

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I consider it very overused, or at least beginning to become overused.

Pretty name.

I LOVE this name! But I would only use it as a middle name because otherwise the child would be called "Franny" or "Fran". I think it would make a very nice middle name though. Sounds very Italian, girly, reminds me of the color pink, it also sounds ethnic, and classic. I think I might name my future daughter something with the middle name Francesca. I love the "chess-ca" sound in it!

My name is Frances and I used to always wish my mother had named me Francesca. :)

Francesca, Francesca, the name's a delight!
http://www.accone.com/weblog/2006/11/whats_in_a_name.html

I think that this is a beautiful name. If I had a daughter this would most likely be her name. Francesca is very cheerful and classy.

I think Frenchie would be a cute nickname. I think this is a beautiful name.

I totally agree with tiny dancer. Francesca is my middle name and while I like my first name, I think Francesca is gourgeous and very uncommon middle name that is a treasure.

I find this name rather difficult to pronounce and associate it with a sneering upper-class image. Still, I'd rather meet a little Francesca than a Mackenzie or Kailyn any day of the week.

This is a very pretty name. A good name to name your daughter!

I go by Frankie, everyone calls me that, because they think it's hard to say Franchesca. Yes, I think my name is the only one spelled with an H, but I think that makes me unique. Almost everyone I meet whose never met a "Francesca" before, say it's one of the prettiest names they have ever heard. I think so too. The ratings are also pretty accurate. People would describe me as a "Francesca". That's who I am.

This is my middle name, and I adore it! While all my other friends' middle names are something common like Marie or Elizabeth or Anne, I get the beautiful name Francesca. I really wish that would have been my first name.

Francesca also means "free spirited." I like the full name, but unfortunately the nicknames are unsavory. Franny and Franky are such masculine nicknames.
Francesca is just too pretty to have a boring nickname.

I just HATE this name. In Italy it's totally overused. I think it's the most lower-class, boring, rude name ever!

I love this name! It makes me think of a dark long haired girl with dark tan skin, wearing red and also of red hibiscuses. Very pretty.

I ADORE THIS NAME! I have written a story and my main charecter is called Francesca Isabella. I agree, those names go fabulously. It is the cutest name, and it sounds so elegant. I like the shortening Cheska or Chesky. SO PRETTY!

I think the name Francesca is a really nice elegant name!

I think that Francesca is a gorgeous and elegant name and it pairs really well with Isabella. (My parents named me Francesca Dominique and my sister Isabella Margaux, so we are both named after Italian princesses and have French middle names)

My name is Francesca and I like it very much. It is not a horrible name, it is fit for a princess.

My name is Francesca and I think it's a lovely name but I hate it being shortened down to Fran, Franie or Franny, Frog or EVEN FRANKENSTEIN! I do not know why! It's a princess's name and who ever says it's a horrible name is just stupid or jealous.

My name is Francesca and I think it's a great name, but as someone said in the comments before, it's the name of a princess. Most of you probably think "What's wrong with that?" Well, I don't like it being princess-like because it makes me seem elegant and... well, princess-like! I don't want to be considered as a princess-like elegant person before one actually gets to know me because really, I just play video games, take karate, and learn Guitar and Piano. I have a perfectly regular life and there is nothing elegant about it at all. The name is also a bit too long, so I have to have a nickname so it doesn't take as long and be as annoying so my friends call me "Frankie", which leads on to the fact that all the nicknames for Francesca are rubbish, but honestly, I think I just don't like it 'cause it's my name, I don't know anyone who doesn't hate their name, but at least I have reasoning, most people just say "I don't like my name." and got no fight against it whatsoever.

I love this name but I would hate for people to call her Fran or Frances or Frannie. Chesca would be cool.

My name is Francesca, but everyone calls me Cesca. I don't like my name. It's not elegant or pretty. It's harsh and ugly. I am actually continuing a family tradition. My great-grandmother hated her name (Philomena), as did my grandmother (Yolanda) as did my mother (Wilma) as do I.

My cousin's name is Francesca Danielle Ryla Henderson and I think she has the name of a little princess!

Beautiful name, rich in history and elegant in sound.

A very pretty name.