Francesca is an Italian feminine given name of Latin origin. It is derived from the Latin word "franciscus," which means "free" or "French." The name was first used in Italy during the Middle Ages and has been popular among Italians ever since.
The name Francesca gained widespread recognition outside of Italy due to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, an epic poem written in the 14th century. In the story, Francesca da Rimini is a tragic heroine who falls in love with her husband's brother, Paolo, and eventually meets her demise at the hands of Paolo's older brother.
Despite its somber origins, the name Francesca has come to be associated with beauty, elegance, and grace. It is often given to daughters in hopes that they will grow up to embody these qualities. Today, Francesca remains a popular choice among parents seeking unique yet meaningful names for their baby girls.
Statistics on the given name Francesca show a varied pattern of popularity over time in the United States. The name first appeared on record with 8 births in 1987. The following year, its popularity grew slightly to 10 births.
However, this trend was not maintained consistently throughout the decade. In 1989, there were only 7 births recorded with the name Francesca. This dip in popularity may have been due to a number of factors such as changing trends in naming practices or shifts in cultural influences.
The years that followed saw fluctuations in the number of births registered under this name. There were periods where its popularity seemed to be on the rise, such as between 1992 and 1993 when there were 5 and 7 births respectively. Then again, between 1997 and 2003, there was another increase in popularity with a total of 8, 6, 5, 6, and finally 7 births recorded during these years.
Over the course of the time period examined (from 1987 to 2003), Francesca experienced periods of both growth and decline in its use as a given name. Overall, there were a total of 74 births registered under this name across these years. This data set provides insight into the changing trends of baby naming over time and can serve as a basis for further analysis on other names or different geographical regions.