Where did France get its name?
The borders of modern France closely align with those of the ancient territory of Gaul, inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Gaul was conquered by the Romans in the first century BC, and the Gauls eventually adopted Romance speech and culture. Gaul’s eastern frontiers along the Rhine were overrun by Germanic tribes in the fourth century AD, principally the Franks, from which the ancient name of “Francie” derived. The modern name “France” derives from the name of the feudal domain of the Capetian Kings of Francia (France) around Paris.
In ancient times France was part of the Celtic territory known as Gaul or Gallia. Its present name is derived from the Latin Francia, meaning “country of the Franks,” a Germanic people who conquered the area during the 5th century, at the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/His…
I am fairly sure its name first came from the famous throwing axe called the Francisca. It was used by barbarian tribes in the region and was very powerful and useful in battles. Its axe head and curved handle allowed it to be thrown with great momentum. It also had a certain unpredictability when it hit the ground. It was known to bounce after striking the ground and then coming back up to hit the oncoming enemies. The region that these tribes lived ended up being called Francia and France as we know it now.
