Origins of the Franklin surname were from the feudal system of medieval England. The Middle English word frankelin was from the Anglo-Norman French word franc which meant free, as in the sense of liberal and generous.

In 1100 in England a Franklin was considered a free man and a holder of fairly extensive areas of land, plus a gentleman ranked above the main body of minor freeholders, but below a knight or a member of the nobility.

The various spellings include: Frankling, Francklyn, Francklin, Franklen and Franklyn.

The French form of Franklin is ‘Francis’.

Benjamin Franklin’s family was from England with the first recording of one of his ancestors being Ralph Frankelein, which was dated 1195, in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire.

Most populated areas for the Franklin surname are in London and Essex County regions of England.

In United States the surname is mostly in southern states, but also very strong in New York and Pennsylvania.

Most Franklin families were farmers in the 1880s.

Famous: Benjamin Franklin (inventor, politician, printer of the 1700s), Rosalind Franklin (English physical chemist and crystallographer), Patricia Franklin (actress), Kirk Franklin (gospel/R&B singer), John Franklin (19th century British Royal Navy officer, Governor of Van Diemens Land and Arctic explorer) and Aretha Franklin (soul and R&B singer).