Franklin

Franklin is a Middle English surname from the word frankelin, referring to a free landowner of noble birth but not of the nobility — someone with status, independence, and good standing in the community. It was famously carried by Benjamin Franklin, one of America's Founding Fathers, and by Presidents Franklin Pierce and Franklin D. Roosevelt. For pets, Franklin combines the likable nickname Frankie with the presidential gravitas of the full name — serious when required, thoroughly approachable at all other times.

Franklin holds #266 on the pet name charts and occupies a particular niche: the companion with an unexpectedly distinguished name that they wear with complete unconscious ease. Its Middle English roots in free landownership suggest a companion who is comfortable in their own skin and not beholden to anyone's expectations. Franklin is especially wonderful when shortened to Frankie for daily use, giving it a double life as both a formal name and an affectionate nickname. It suits a companion with an old-soul quality and a genuine dignity that occasionally gives way to pure silliness.