Frank (given name)

Frank /ˈfræŋk/ is a masculine given name.

Ultimately from the Germanic tribal name of the Franks, in the early medieval Frankish Empire, the status of being "a Frank" became synonymous with that of a free man; hence also the English adjective frank (Middle English, from Old French franc, 12th century).

Use as a given name seems to arise already in the Carolingian period; the Old High German form Francho, Franko is on record from the 8th century.^[1] While Frank is a given name in its own right, in fact reflecting the Old Frankish form *Frank, the given name in the United States arose again in the 20th century as a short form of Francis (which is itself a shortening of Franciscus, i.e. "the Frenchman", in reference to Saint Francis of Assisi), as popularized by Frank Sinatra (born Francis Albert Sinatra, 1915–1998).

People with the given name

In arts and entertainment

Also see Frank in fictional characters

In architecture

• Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959)
• Frank Gehry (born 1929)

In comics

• Frank Bellamy  (1917–1976), British comics artist
• Frank Brunner (born 1949), American comics artist
• Frank Giacoia (1924–1988), American comics artist
• Frank Le Gall (born 1959), French comics author
• Frank Madsen (born 1962), Danish comics artist
• Frank Margerin (born 1952), French comics author
• Frank Miller (born 1957), American comics author
• Frank Pé (born 1956), Belgian comics author
• Frank Springer (1929–2009), American comics artist
• Frank Thomas (comics) (1914–1968), American cartoonist; creator of The Eye
• Frank Tieri, American comics writer

In film and television

• Frank Borzage (1894–1962), American film director and actor
• Frank Caliendo (born 1974), American comedy actor, impressionist and comedian, host of the television show Frank TV
• Frank Capra (1897–1991), American film director
• Frank Delfino (1911-1997), American actor
• Franky G (born 1965), American film and television actor
• Frank Gorshin (1933–2005), American actor and comedian from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Frank Muller (1951–2008), Dutch audio book narrator and actor
• Frank Somerville (born 1958), news anchor
• Frank M. Thomas (1889–1989), American actor
• Frank Vincent (born 1939), American actor

In literature

• Frank Chin (born 1940), Chinese-American author
• Frank Conniff (born 1958), American actor and writer who portrayed TV's Frank
• Frank Herbert (1920–1986), science fiction writer, author of the Dune series
• Frank Lebby Stanton (1857–1927), American lyricist
• Frank McCourt (1930–2009), Irish-American writer
• Frank Stella (born 1936), American painter and printmaker

In music

• Frank Bello (born 1965), American bassist of thrash metal band Anthrax
• Frank Black (born 1965), American musician
• Frank Gambale (born 1958), Australian jazz fusion guitarist
• Frank Iero (born 1981), former rhythm guitarist for the band My Chemical Romance and lead singer for the band Leathermouth
• Frank Klepacki (born 1974), American video game music composer best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series
• Frank Marino (born 1954), Canadian guitarist and hard rock band leader
• Frank Ocean (born 1987), American musician
• Frank Sinatra (1915–1998), American singer, actor and dancer
• Frank Turner (born 1981), British folk/punk singer songwriter
• Frank Edwin Wright III (known as Tre Cool, born 1972), drummer of the band Green Day
• Frank Zappa (1940–1993), American musician and composer

In radio

• Frank Sontag (born 1955), talk radio host

In sports

• Frank Abruzzino (1908-1986), American football player
• Frank Beltre (born 1990), American football player
• Frank Broers (born 1977), Dutch football player
• Frank Bruno (born 1961), British WBC heavyweight boxing champion
• Frank Bykowski (1915-1985), American football player
• Frank Dehne (born 1976), German volleyball player
• Frank Dueckerhoff (born 1962), German ice hockey defenceman
• Frank Giorgi (born 1981), Australian kickboxer
• Frank Henry (cricketer) (dates unknown), English cricketer
• Frank Hood (1908-1955), American football player
• Frank Kooiman (born 1970), Dutch football player
• Frank Lampard (born 1978), English football player
• Frank Leatherwood (born 1977), American football player
• Frank Simmons Leavitt (1891-1953), professional wrestler, stuntman, and actor, known by his ring name Man Mountain Dean
• Frank Liivak (born 1996), Estonian football player
• Frank Mahoney (1901-1961), American football player
• Frank Manumaleuga (born 1956), American football player
• Frank Matteo (1896-1983), American football player
• Frank McConnell (born 1887), Canadian athlete
• Frank McPhee (American football) (1931-2011), American football player
• Frank Minini (1921-2005), American football player
• Frank Mir (born 1979), American mixed martial artist
• Frank Moreno (born 1965), Cuban judoka
• Frank Müller (born 1968), German decathlete
• Frank Nasworthy, American surfing and skateboarding enthusiast, introduced the urethane skateboard wheel and founded Cadillac Wheels Company
• Frank Patrick (running back) (1915–1992), American football player
• Frank Patrick (quarterback) (born 1947), American football player
• Frank Patrick (ice hockey) (1885–1960), Canadian ice hockey player
• Frank-Paul Nu'uausala (born 1987), New Zealand Rugby League player
• Frank Rijkaard (born 1962), Dutch football player and manager
• Frank Robinson (born 1935), Hall of Fame North American baseball player and manager
• Frank Pritchard (born 1983), Australian-New Zealand Rugby League player
• Frank Sinclair (born 1971), English-born Jamaican football player
• Frank Spellacy (born 1901), American football player
• Frank Thomas (American football) (1898–1954)
• Frank Thomas (designated hitter) (born 1968), Major League Baseball player in the American League from 1990 to 2008
• Frank Thomas (outfielder), (born 1929) Major League Baseball player in the National League from 1951 to 1966
• Frank Trigilio (1919–1992), American football player

In visual arts and animation

• Frank Miles (1852–1891), British artist
• Frank Thomas (animator) (1912–2004), one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as the Nine Old Men

Other

• Frank Abagnale (born 1948), former confidence trickster, check forger, skilled impostor and escape artist
• Frank Barnett (born 1933), 49th Governor of American Samoa
• Frank Bossard (1912–2001), Secret Intelligence Service agent convicted of spying for the USSR.
• Frank Bainimarama (born 1954), Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and Interim Prime Minister of Fiji
• Frank Cooper (Australian politician) (1872–1949), Australian politician
• Frank Cooper III, business executive, branded entertainment leader
• Frank Dobson (born 1940), British politician
• Frank DeSimone (1909–1967), Italian American mobster
• Frank Marcus Fernando (1931-2009), 3rd Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chilaw
• Frank Grevil (born 1960), Danish whistle blower
• Frank Ebenezer Hill (1880–1932), American Medal of Honor recipient
• Frank K. Houston (1881-1973), president and chairman of the Chemical Corn Exchange Bank in the 1940s.
• Frank James (1843–1915), notorious 19th-century outlaw and member of the James-Younger Gang
• Frank Jenner (1903–1977), English Australian evangelist
• Frank van Kappen (born 1941), Dutch soldier and politician
• Frank J. Low (1933–2009), American physicist
• Frank Lowy (born 1930), Australian businessman
• Frank Mockler (1909–1993), 47th Governor of American Samoa
• Frank Schilling (born 1970), domain name and Internet investor
• Frank Wassenberg (born 1966), Dutch politician
• Frank E. Wheelock (1863-1932), a founder and first mayor of Lubbock, Texas

See also

• Franc (disambiguation)
• Frances (disambiguation)
• Francis (disambiguation)
• Franck (disambiguation)
• Frankie (disambiguation)
• Franks (disambiguation)

References