What's in a name?
My last name is also a first name, but that’s okay, it’s not really my name anyway. Legally, yes — emotionally, no. As I understand it, the name Franta comes from Central Europe. It’s a common first and last name in the Czech Republic and Romania. For the most part, it’s an uncommon name in the United States, unless you’re in Minnesota or Nebraska, where many Czechoslovakian émigrés settled years ago. Franta is my husban d’s paternal surname. It’s a pet form of FRANTIŠEK, which is Czech for Franciscus and translates further as Francis, Frank, or Frenchman. It’s a distinguished name. In Pragu e, you’ll find the Hotel Franta, and all sorts of businesses named Franta something or other. There are quite a few renowned Frantas…of the first and last name. There is Franta Belsky the sculptor, and Roman Franta the painter, and Greg Franta, an award-winning pioneer of environmentally sustainable architecture, which has played a major role in the development of many successful “green” building