Finding Famous Franceses
June 16, 2012 6:56 AM Subscribe
Who are some famous and/or important Franceses?
Shortly before our first child was born, we put pictures of famous Ediths on her door. She's two now, and she loves to hear about Edith Head, Edith Roosevelt, etc.
Our second is coming soon, and we're having a more difficult time with the name Frances. We've got Frances Bavier, Frances McDormand, and a few others.
What Franceses can you think of? (Frankie, Frannie, Franny and Francie are good, too.)
Shortly before our first child was born, we put pictures of famous Ediths on her door. She's two now, and she loves to hear about Edith Head, Edith Roosevelt, etc.
Our second is coming soon, and we're having a more difficult time with the name Frances. We've got Frances Bavier, Frances McDormand, and a few others.
What Franceses can you think of? (Frankie, Frannie, Franny and Francie are good, too.)
Frances Perkins!
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:02 AM on June 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:02 AM on June 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Frances Bean Cobain.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:22 AM on June 16, 2012
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:22 AM on June 16, 2012
If you're willing to accept Francises, there's Francis X. Bushman: the first movie Tarzan.
posted by easily confused at 7:23 AM on June 16, 2012
posted by easily confused at 7:23 AM on June 16, 2012
Frances Hodgson Burnett who wrote The Secret Garden, of course! Highly appropriate for a children's room.
posted by oliverburkeman at 7:27 AM on June 16, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by oliverburkeman at 7:27 AM on June 16, 2012 [5 favorites]
oh, yeah:
Frances Bean Cobain (daughter of Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love)
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, aka Mother Cabrini (first US saint)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (author --- oh shucks, oliverburkeman just beat me to her!)
posted by easily confused at 7:30 AM on June 16, 2012
Frances Bean Cobain (daughter of Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love)
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, aka Mother Cabrini (first US saint)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (author --- oh shucks, oliverburkeman just beat me to her!)
posted by easily confused at 7:30 AM on June 16, 2012
Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show)
Frances Harper (African-American abolitionist, poet and author)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (Author of The Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy)
Frances Benjamin Johnston (one of the earliest female American photographers and photojournalists)
Frances Oldham Kelsey (FDA reviewer who stood up to the manufacturer of thalidomide and refused to authorize it)
Frances Kellor (social reformer who got a law degree in 1897)
To find these, I just let Google auto-complete in the search box. You can do the same in Wikipedia.
posted by runningwithscissors at 7:32 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Frances Harper (African-American abolitionist, poet and author)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (Author of The Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy)
Frances Benjamin Johnston (one of the earliest female American photographers and photojournalists)
Frances Oldham Kelsey (FDA reviewer who stood up to the manufacturer of thalidomide and refused to authorize it)
Frances Kellor (social reformer who got a law degree in 1897)
To find these, I just let Google auto-complete in the search box. You can do the same in Wikipedia.
posted by runningwithscissors at 7:32 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you want to include fictional Franceses, there's Bread and Jam for Frances (and all of the books in that series), and the heroine of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. My grandmother's name was Frances - it's a lovely name.
posted by judith at 7:33 AM on June 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by judith at 7:33 AM on June 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Fran Allen, who is deeply cool, and a Turing Award winner!
Frances Marion, a hugely successful screenwriter and director in the early days of Hollywood. (You might also find a photo of her in a giant hat, which she favored, if you GIS a bit harder.)
Frances is such a great name. I had a great-aunt Frances who was a teacher of nursing, beloved by her students, fierce as anything, who lived to be 98. She learned to drive when she was 81!
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:38 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Frances Marion, a hugely successful screenwriter and director in the early days of Hollywood. (You might also find a photo of her in a giant hat, which she favored, if you GIS a bit harder.)
Frances is such a great name. I had a great-aunt Frances who was a teacher of nursing, beloved by her students, fierce as anything, who lived to be 98. She learned to drive when she was 81!
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:38 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Franny & Zooey (JD Salinger novel)
Frances Scott Fitzgerald (Scottie), daughter of F Scott & Zelda
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:43 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Frances Scott Fitzgerald (Scottie), daughter of F Scott & Zelda
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:43 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Certainly, fictional/literary Franceses are totally appropriate. My wife is very excited about Bread & Jam. Perfect.
posted by kortez at 7:44 AM on June 16, 2012
posted by kortez at 7:44 AM on June 16, 2012
Dirty Dancing's Frances "Baby" Houseman was named for Frances Perkins, first woman in the U.S. Cabinet.
Actress Franka Potente from Run Lola Run and The Bourne Identity.
I'm a Fran! But my favorite nickname, that only a few very close family members call me, is Franka.
posted by ellenaim at 7:51 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Actress Franka Potente from Run Lola Run and The Bourne Identity.
I'm a Fran! But my favorite nickname, that only a few very close family members call me, is Franka.
posted by ellenaim at 7:51 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm.
posted by NoraCharles at 7:56 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by NoraCharles at 7:56 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ooh, you can browse Wikipedia pages beginning with Frances.
posted by ellenaim at 8:32 AM on June 16, 2012
posted by ellenaim at 8:32 AM on June 16, 2012
There's apparently Saint Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus, which is an awesome name for a saint, but maybe not a kid's door. I'd stick to Frances Cabrini for the saints.
posted by hoyland at 8:36 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by hoyland at 8:36 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
The Talking Mule.
(it's gonna come up)
posted by vitabellosi at 10:31 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
(it's gonna come up)
posted by vitabellosi at 10:31 AM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
If the Talking Mule does come up, she can explain that HE was Francis, with an i.
posted by kbar1 at 10:47 AM on June 16, 2012
posted by kbar1 at 10:47 AM on June 16, 2012
San Francesca Romana, saint, noblewoman, mystic, occasional demonfighter.
posted by PussKillian at 11:45 AM on June 16, 2012
posted by PussKillian at 11:45 AM on June 16, 2012
Actress Francesca Annis. (I will always have a schoolgirl crush on her.)
posted by likeso at 12:10 PM on June 16, 2012
posted by likeso at 12:10 PM on June 16, 2012
wrong gender, but don't forget King Francis Albert the 1st...aka Frank Sinatra.
posted by davidmsc at 12:23 PM on June 16, 2012
posted by davidmsc at 12:23 PM on June 16, 2012
If you accept Francis, there's Saint Francis of Assisi, "one of the most venerated religious figures in history (...) He is known as the patron saint of animals, the environment and one of the two patrons of Italy. (...) At Greccio near Assisi, around 1220, Francis celebrated Christmas by setting up the first known three-dimensional presepio or crèche (Nativity scene)."
posted by iviken at 3:51 PM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by iviken at 3:51 PM on June 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Fanny Brawne, Keats's great love.
posted by Perodicticus potto at 7:17 PM on June 17, 2012
posted by Perodicticus potto at 7:17 PM on June 17, 2012
If the Talking Mule does come up, she can explain that HE was Francis, with an i.
I don't think you understand the nature of jerks.
posted by vitabellosi at 5:50 PM on June 28, 2012
I don't think you understand the nature of jerks.
posted by vitabellosi at 5:50 PM on June 28, 2012
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posted by nkknkk at 7:00 AM on June 16, 2012 [7 favorites]