Francisco is of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the Latin 'Franciscus', which means "free" or "from France". It has been popular throughout Europe for centuries, but is particularly common in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. Francisco is often associated with Saint Francis of Assisi, a prominent figure in Christianity who was born Francesco di Bernardone in Italy in the 12th century. The name has many variants around the world, including Francisco in Spanish, François in French, Franz in German, and Francesco in Italian. It is also used as a surname in some cultures. Notable individuals with the first name Francisco include Francisco Goya, the renowned Spanish painter, and Francisco Pizarro, the explorer who conquered the Inca Empire.
The name Francisco experienced a significant rise in popularity from the 1970s onwards, with birth numbers fluctuating between single digits to over 30 per year. The peak occurred in 1979 and 1988 with 30 births each. Since the late 1990s, there's been a consistent decrease, reaching as low as 5 births in 2002. Over the entire period from 1916 to 2006, Francisco was given to a total of 954 newborns.