The 2010 U.S. Census recorded 23,733 black Americans with Francis as their last name. That represented 30% of the total of 78,327 entries.
This article tracks their numbers in the census since the Civil War. We also look at historic African American people named Francis.
We end with a review of early records of black military service in the United States.
After The Civil War
The 1870 census was the first survey after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1850 and 1860, only free African Americans were recorded in the census. The many enslaved were omitted.
From 1870 onward, all black Americans were included.
1,334 people named Francis were recorded in the 1870 census as black and 374 as mixed.
There was a total of 11,056 people with the name.
Francis In The 1900 And 1940 Census
The mixed category was dropped from the census in 1900, so we just need to look at the black numbers this time.
The 1900 census recorded 2,749 people with the last name Francis as black within a total of 18,850 that year.
By the way, the mixed category returned in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. It was dropped again in 1930, but replaced with extra categories for colored and non-white in a way that seems confusing now.
This changed again in 1940 and we can simply focus on one black category.
The 1940 census recorded 4,524 people named Francis as black within a total of 32,913.
Historic Black Figures With The Francis Surname
Here is a notable African American in history with Francis as their last name.
William Francis
- Born: 1870
- From: Indianopolis, Indiana
- Died: 1929
William Francis started working as a teenage messenger with the Northern Pacific Railway. He rose to the position of clerk before obtaining a law degree in his early thirties.
His law practice included civil rights cases and he was an active member of the Republican Party. He served on the Minnesota Republican Central Committee in the 1920s.
Calvin Coolidge appointed him as Consul General to Liberia in 1927. He died of yellow fever two years later.
William married Nellie Griswold who was a noted black activist and anti-lynching campaigner in her own right.
Francis In Black Military Records
Military records are a rich resource of information for family history research. Here are examples of the Francis surname from different military services:
- Buffalo soldiers
- Black civil war sailors
- Tuskegee airmen
Buffalo Soldiers
Five regiments for black soldiers were formed during the Civil War. They were known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Their records are part of the national archive of military monthly returns. The information includes the year and place of birth, where they enlisted, their occupation, and their height.
One of the earliest military entries for Francis was in February 1873. David Francis was a Private in the U.S. Ninth Cavalry. He was stationed in February 1873 at Ringgold Barracks, Texas.
Another entry was in August 1899. Albert Francis was a Private in the U.S. Ninth Cavalry.
If you are researching military ancestors, there is a free index of these records on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
You have to create an account on either website, but you do not need to pay for the Buffalo Soldiers archive.
Black Civil War Sailors
The National Parks Service has a free archive of African American sailors during the Civil War.
The information includes their age, height, rank, occupation, and where and when they enlisted. It also includes every ship that they served on.
You can search the database on the National Parks website.
Joseph Francis
One of the earliest entries for Francis was for Joseph Francis from West Chester, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in December 1861 at Boston when he was aged 21.
The record shows that Joseph was assigned on February 1864 to the ship Constellation.
His occupation before enlisting was as a Cook. His naval rank was Landsman.
“Landsman” was the lowest rank at the time and was given to recruits with little sea experience.
H. James Francis
One of the later entries was for a sailor who enlisted at Hampton Roads in December 1863. H. James was aged 21 and was from Philadelphia.
He was assigned to the ship Roanoke on January 1865.
His occupation before enlisting was as a Cabinetmaker. His naval rank was Landsman.
“Landsman” was the lowest rank at the time and was given to recruits with little sea experience.
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were military personnel who served at the Tuskegee Army Airfield or related programs.
Nearly one thousand black pilots graduated from the Tuskegee Institute. They flew single-engine fighter planes or twin-engine bombers. 352 fought in combat.
William Francis graduated from the Tuskegee Institute in June 1945. He qualified as a fighter pilot. William was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.