Frank Sinatra's Real Name: Francis Albert Sinatra

Quick answer: Frank Sinatra's birth name was Francis Albert Sinatra. He was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey, and died on May 14, 1998, in Los Angeles at age 82. "Frank" was the familiar form of Francis. He became one of the 20th century's most popular singers and an Oscar-winning actor (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998." It lists variants including "Sinatra, Francis Albert," "Ol' Blue Eyes," "Chairman of the Board," and "La Voz." One citation reads "birth name: Francis Albert Sinatra." Another records the nicknames "The Voice," "Ol' Blue Eyes," "Swoonatra," and "The Sultan of Swoon."

Britannica says he was the only child of Italian immigrants. His father, Martin, was Sicilian and worked as a tavern owner and part-time prizefighter. His Genoese-born mother, Natalie (née Garavente), known as "Dolly," was active in local politics and strongly shaped his career. Inspired by Bing Crosby's crooning, he joined a group that, as the Hoboken Four, won a 1935 talent contest on Major Bowes' Amateur Hour.

Career highlights

In 1939 trumpeter Harry James heard him singing and waiting tables at the Rustic Cabin in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and hired him. "All or Nothing at All," a flop in 1939, became a million-seller on its 1943 re-release. Sinatra then made 83 commercial recordings with Tommy Dorsey's band from 1940 to 1942, learning breath control from Dorsey's trombone playing.

He went solo in late 1942. His January 1943 shows at New York's Paramount theater set off a frenzy among "bobby-soxers," and Britannica calls him a prototype of the modern teen idol. His career moved through the Columbia, Capitol, and Reprise labels, alongside a long film career. Britannica's quick facts list an Academy Award for best supporting actor (1954) for From Here to Eternity, many Grammys including album of the year, Kennedy Center Honors (1983), and the Cecil B. DeMille Award (1971). Films include On the Town, Guys and Dolls, The Man with the Golden Arm, Pal Joey, Ocean's Eleven, and The Manchurian Candidate.

He married four times: Nancy Barbato (1939–51), Ava Gardner (1951–57), Mia Farrow (1966–68), and Barbara Marx (1976). Singer Nancy Sinatra is his daughter.

Name notes for searchers

Frank is a nickname for Francis, so "Francis Albert Sinatra" and "Frank Sinatra" are the same person. "Ol' Blue Eyes," "The Voice," and "Chairman of the Board" are nicknames, not legal names. LOC also records a Latinized form, Franciscus Albertus Sinatra, from foreign-language sources.