Irish with Francis surname?

Question

my last name is Francis... my partents allways told me we where Irish... but wherever i look i can only find francis' coming from england... does anybody out there know anymore about this stuff then me... it doesn't make sense...

Answer 1

It makes plenty of sense.

First, many surnames are common in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. Just knowing a surname doesn't really allow you to place it within the British Isles.

Second, Ireland was (and part of it still is) an English colony for hundreds of years, with many people moving both ways. Plenty of Irish lived in England, and plenty of English moved to (and were settled in) Ireland.

Third, many Irish emigrants actually left from English ports, so a born-and-bred Irishman may have left the old world (and be listed as arriving from) Liverpool or London even if they didn't actually live there.

Fourth, depending on what you are looking at, you may well just be missing FRANCIS emigrants.

Fifth, family traditions are often wrong, even regarding ethnic origins - while if your family says you are Irish, you probably are (since it's a fairly common heritage and the Irish didn't really start coming to the U.S. until the mid 19th century, which is fairly recently), there are many traditions that are just bunk. One notorious example is Native American ancestry - You'll see tons of people talking about their 'Cherokee' or 'Blackfoot' heritage, but very little of this has any basis in fact and a lot to do with romantic (and frankly somewhat offensive) ideas of the noble Indian, cultural expropriation, and 'trendy' ancestry.

Answer 2

Francis Name Origin

Answer 3

The origin of the surname Francis is Scottish. Take a look at the following link.

http://www.houseofnames.com/coatofarms_details.asp?s=Francis&sId=

Looking for the origin of a certain name is a common question here. And it's fine if that is all someone wants. But it does not tell you anything for certain. Here are a couple of links to surname message boards if you are interested. They do have a specific board for Francis. Many who frequent these boards are genealogists and may have some more insight into your specific surname. There are also separate boards for states, counties, and countries if you are interested.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/francis/
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.francis/mb.ashx

Just because the name is Scottish, doesn't mean that your line isn't Irish. However, the only way you are going to know for sure is to search your own heritage, person by person, generation by generation. There are many names that are this way. You will see by reading the message boards for Francis that there are Francis families with their roots in Ireland, England, and Scotland.

The website at The Latter Day Saints Church yields even more possibilities:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

Don't try to find your origin by looking on a handful of websites. Conduct your own investigation and be sure of the results.

If you wish to persue your specific surname further, E-mail me via my profile and I will give you some more helpful genealogy sites. Blessings.

Answer 4

Francis is a Scottish surname, more than likely your ancestors were Ulster coming from Northern Ireland.

Answer 5

Irish and English names are interchangeable. Like Smith...many in England and Ireland.

Answer 6

"Francis" really means "of France," but it appears in many cultures, including the Irish. It is not uniquely Irish, however--cf. St. Francis of Assisi.

Answer 7

http://www.familysearch.org

http://genforum.genealogy.com


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