Frankie

Frankie shows up in a rumpled tuxedo, or maybe a jean jacket, depending on the decade. A diminutive of Frank or Francis, itself from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, meaning "free," it has swung between boys and girls throughout the twentieth century. Frankie Valli, Frank Sinatra, Frankie from Grease, all contributed to its easy, jazz-club charm. The name has seen a distinct resurgence in the last decade, now ranked 591 and increasingly favored for girls, spurred by a new generation of parents drawn to unisex nicknames as whole names. Warm, wisecracking, and unfailingly quick on its feet.