What Francisco means
Francisco is a boy name of Latin origin meaning "Frenchman, free man". It comes from Latin Franciscus (Frenchman, Frank), from the Franks, whose name is linked to frank (free). It is pronounced frahn-SEES-ko.
Saint Francis of Assisi, October 4. Francisco I. Madero, apostle of democracy. Pancho Villa was born Doroteo Arango and took the name Francisco Villa.
Nicknames in Mexico: Paco, Pancho, Kiko, Curro. Pancho comes from Francisco through the child form Panchisco, with f replaced by p and the middle dropped. Paco is likely from the same process (Francisco to Phacisco to Paco); the claim that it abbreviates Pater Comunitatis, a title of Saint Francis, is folk etymology. Kiko is from the final -cisco. See the guide to Mexican nicknames.
Popularity: one of the most common names in Mexico. See the current top names.
