Baby Names of Ireland

Frank in Irish: Proinsias

The Irish form of Frank is Proinsias, a boy's name meaning “little Frenchman.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.

Updated September 2026

How to say Proinsias
PRON-she-issThree syllables, stress on the first
Irish form
Proinsias
Meaning
Little Frenchman
Gender
Boy
Popularity in Ireland
No. 286 for boys (2025)

How do you say Frank in Irish?

Frank in Irish is Proinsias, pronounced PRON-she-iss. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first.

Hear Proinsias said aloud, with its meaning (37 seconds, Baby Names of Ireland on YouTube).

What does Proinsias mean?

Proinsias means “little Frenchman.” Frank is one of the English forms of the name.

Read more about Proinsias: its meaning, origin and stories

In 2025, 15 baby boys in Ireland were named Frank, which made it No. 286 that year. That's down from No. 228 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1966, when 14 baby boys were named Frank, No. 139 that year. The most babies got the name in 2016: 33. The records go back to 1964, when 9 baby boys were given the name.

0204019701980199020002010202033 in 201615 in 2025
Baby boys named Frank each year. Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 (data: table VSA50, boys' names, CC BY 4.0).
See the numbers by year
YearBabiesRank
202515No. 286
202416No. 267
202316No. 268
202214No. 306
202129No. 182
202018No. 261
201924No. 214
201819No. 257
201729No. 197
201633No. 177
201524No. 228
201418No. 267
201318No. 271
201223No. 240
201124No. 225
201025No. 220
200916No. 283
200824No. 219
200715No. 253
200613No. 257
200522No. 181
20049No. 283
200316No. 187
200217No. 185
200119No. 165
200011No. 206
199915No. 180
199811No. 193
199719No. 162
19967No. 261
199512No. 198
199411No. 192
19939No. 213
199212No. 192
199110No. 201
199013No. 183
198919No. 154
19888No. 207
198720No. 152
198616No. 165
198516No. 163
198411No. 192
198311No. 198
198216No. 169
198111No. 202
198014No. 191
197916No. 172
19786No. 242
197713No. 184
197619No. 164
197517No. 168
197416No. 173
197317No. 169
197214No. 180
197114No. 174
19709No. 197
196913No. 163
19686No. 207
196715No. 142
196614No. 139
19655No. 207
19649No. 164

Proinsias in Ogham

Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Proinsias, letter by letter.

᚛ᚚᚏᚑᚔᚅᚄᚔᚐᚄ᚜
  1. PPeith
  2. RRuis, elder
  3. OOnn, gorse
  4. IIodhadh, yew
  5. NNion, ash
  6. SSail, willow
  7. IIodhadh, yew
  8. AAilm, pine
  9. SSail, willow

Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator

Names that go with Frank

Questions about Frank

What is Frank in Irish?
The Irish form of Frank is Proinsias, pronounced PRON-she-iss. Proinsias means “little Frenchman.”
How do you pronounce Proinsias?
Proinsias is pronounced PRON-she-iss. Three syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
Is Frank a girl's name or a boy's name?
Frank is a boy's name.
How popular is Frank in Ireland?
In 2025, Frank was No. 286 for boys in Ireland, with 15 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1966, at No. 139.