Franklyn

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine given name that is an alternative spelling of Franklin, traditionally borne by men in English-speaking countries
2. A male first name, a variant spelling of Franklin, often used as a personal name or family name
3. Used as a masculine personal name, an alternate form of Franklin that people sometimes adopt for their children

Etymology: Franklyn is a given name that began as a common noun. In Middle English, a "franklin" was a free landowner, a man who held his land outright rather than as a serf or tenant, and he ranked a step below the knights. Chaucer's Franklin in the "Canterbury Tales" is the best-known example of the type, a prosperous gentleman who loves good food and hospitality. The word came into English from Anglo-Norman "fraunclein," and its origin is obscure. It is probably built from Medieval Latin "francus," meaning "free," with an Old French suffix "-lenc," the ancestor of the English "-ling" ending. The resemblance to the adjective "frank" is a matter of surface analysis, and the word's true formation is less tidy than that resemblance suggests. As a personal name, "Franklyn" follows the common practice of turning a status word or surname into a first name, the way many English given names have done. The spelling with "y" is a variant of the "i" form found in the older noun.