FRANKLIN LEWIS

Transferred use of the surname, derived from Middle English frankeleyn ‘freeman’, denoting a member of a class of men who were not of noble birth but who were nevertheless freeholders. The vocabulary word is derived from Old French franc, meaning both ‘free’ and ‘Frankish’. The connection between freemen and Franks is reflected in the Late Latin term francalia, originally denoting lands held by Franks, which came to mean lands not subject to taxes. The given name is now quite common, especially in the United States, where it is often bestowed in honour of the statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin (1706–90). A more recent influence was President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945).

English (but most common in Wales): from Lowis, Lodovicus, a Norman personal name composed of the Germanic elements hlod ‘fame’ + wīg ‘war’. This was the name of the founder of the Frankish dynasty, recorded in Latin chronicles as Ludovicus and Chlodovechus (the latter form becoming Old French Clovis, Clouis, Louis, the former developing into German Ludwig). The name was popular throughout France in the Middle Ages and was introduced to England by the Normans. In Wales it became inextricably confused with 2.