Franklin
/ˈfræŋk.lɪn/noun
In medieval England, a franklin was a landowning free man of rank below the gentry; it is also a surname.
Did you know?The word comes from Old French *franc* (“free”) plus the English suffix *-lin*, and in medieval society it marked someone literally not bound by servile duty.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*frankaz
“free, bold, belonging to the Franks”
Old French
OF
franc
“free; noble; exempt from servitude”
Middle English
ME
frankelin
“a freeholder; a landowning peasant of independent status”
14th Century
English
frankeleyn
“a prosperous free man, especially one owning land”
Modern English
English
franklin
“a surname and historical term for a freeholder of rank below a gentleman”