Frank Name Meaning: What Does Frank Mean for a Cat?

Frank means “free man.” Behind the bluntest, most human of cat names sits a whole Germanic tribe, and a word for freedom that English still uses every day.

What Does the Name Frank Mean?

Frank means “free man.” The name is Germanic in origin, and it starts with the Franks, the Germanic tribe who settled in what is now France, Belgium and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th centuries, France itself is named after them. The Franks became the free, land-owning people of their region, and their tribal name passed into language as the word frank: free, open, forthright. That is the sense our database records, the verified meaning, checked for this page against Behind the Name, which traces the name to the Old German tribal name (possibly itself from frankô, a type of spear).

Frank reached England with the Normans and has been a plain, dependable first name ever since, borne by singer Frank Sinatra, architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum. It is also sometimes used as a short form of Francis or Franklin. On cats, it has a second life as a joke that never gets old: in Rover’s ranked list of popular male cat names, Frank sits at number 44.

What Kind of Cat Suits the Name Frank?

Frank suits the deadpan cat, the one who sits in the sink, watches you work, and appears entirely unimpressed. A solid human name on a small furry animal is its own kind of comedy, and Frank is the classic of the genre: one blunt syllable, zero decoration, all confidence.

It is also a genuinely practical name. One syllable is easy to call and easy for a cat to pick out from background noise. The natural extension is Frankie, owners who want the softer version can read our Frankie name meaning page, which covers the diminutive in full.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Frank mean?

Frank means “free man.” It is Germanic in origin, from the Franks, the Germanic tribe whose name became a word for a free, forthright person.

What is the difference between Frank and Frankie?

Frankie is the diminutive, the affectionate, softer form of Frank (and sometimes of Francis). Frank is the blunt original; Frankie is the same name with its tie loosened. Our Frankie meaning page covers the short form in detail.

Why do people name cats Frank?

Partly the joke: a very ordinary human name on a cat is funny in a way that never wears off. Frank is also short, clear and easy to call, and Rover ranks it at number 44 among popular male cat names, so plenty of owners agree.

Is Frank a good name for a male cat?

Yes, Frank is listed for male cats in our name database, and its meaning (“free man”) suits any cat, an animal that has never once done something purely because it was told to.

By Brianna Baxter

Meaning and origin verified against Behind the Name; popularity ranking from Rover’s published cat name rankings.