Francisco

Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese equivalent of the male name Francis, which is the English equivalent of the Late Latinate Franciscus, a vocabulary word denoting ‘French’ or ‘Frenchman.’ This was a nickname given to St. Francis of Assisi (whose baptismal name was actually Giovanni) because of his wealthy father’s business connections in France and his general admiration of the French people. St. Francis had a pleasant, happy childhood, but as a young man, a couple of bad experiences caused him to turn away from the material world and devote himself to the poor and sick. After he was joined by a few disciples, these so-called Franciscans dedicated themselves to humility, poverty and the love for all living creatures. St. Francis (or San Francisco to the Spanish) is often depicted surrounded by animals, particularly birds. It’s no surprise that St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment, but he is also the patron saint of Italy. Thanks to the cult that grew up around St. Francis, the name spread in the 14th century and became even more popular during the Italian Renaissance of the 16th century. Apparently, the Spanish sometimes shorten Francisco to Paco, while the Portuguese use Chico as a pet form. In Latin America, where Francisco is also popular, the nickname Pancho is sometimes used. That makes the Spanish/Portuguese version of this name quite flexible in terms of charming nicknames and pet forms. According to 2007 data, Francisco was the 40th most popular boy’s name in Spain. The name is also quite popular throughout Latin America and Mexico.