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Frank (given name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank
GenderMale
Origin
Language(s)Old High German
Meaningfrom the name of the Franks
Other names
Related namesFrancis, François, Francesco, Francisco, Francisc, Franciszek, Ferenc, Franklin, Franco, Frankie, Franjo, Frans, Franz, František

Frank /fræŋk/ is a masculine given name.

While Frank has been a European name in its own right, the given name in the English-speaking United States arose in the 20th century as a short form of the traditional common English variant Francis (which itself is a shortening of Franciscus, i.e. "the Frenchman", in reference to Saint Francis of Assisi). It was popularized particularly by Frank Sinatra (born Francis Albert Sinatra, 1915–1998).

The continental variant of Frank dates back to the Carolingian period in France and Germany (the early medieval Frankish Empire where originally Old Frankish was spoken by the elite). The Old High German form Francho, Franko is on record from the 8th century.[1] Hence also the English adjective frank (Middle English, from Old French franc, 12th century).

People with the given name

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In architecture

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In the arts

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In comics

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In film and television

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In literature

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In music

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In radio

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Criminals

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  • Frank Abagnale (born 1948), former confidence trickster, skilled impostor and escape artist
  • Frank Amato (1942–1980), Sicilian-American mafioso
  • Frank Bossard (1912–2001), Secret Intelligence Service agent convicted of spying for the USSR
  • Frank Cali (1965–2019), American crime boss
  • Frank DeSimone (1909–1967), Italian American mobster
  • Frank James (1843–1915), 19th-century outlaw and member of the James-Younger Gang
  • Frank Vitkovic, murderer in the Queen Street massacre in Melbourne in 1987

In politics and government

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In science and technology

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In sports

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Others

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Fictional characters

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ernst Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856), 413.