Paco

Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. Another nickname for Francisco is Pancho.

One theory says that the nickname has its origins in Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the Franciscan order. His name was written, in Latin, by the order as Pater Communitatis (Father of the community); hence, "Paco" was obtained by taking the first syllable of each word.. Another possibility is it comes from little children's defective pronunciation of their name as "Paquico".

Sometimes people with the name Francisco are also called Kiko. However, this nickname is more commonly used for Federico, Ricardo, or Enrique.

Paco is also a slang term for cocaine paste.

People with the nickname Paco

• Paco Alcácer (born 1993), Spanish footballer
• Paco Arespacochaga (born 1971), Filipino drummer
• Paco Bandeira (born 1946), Portuguese singer
• Paco Cabanes Pastor (born 1954), Valencian pilota player
• Paco Calderón (born 1959), Mexican political cartoonist
• Paco Craig (born 1965), American football player
• Paco de Lucía (1947–2014), Spanish Flamenco guitarist and composer
• Paco Decina, Italian choreographer
• Paco Estévez (born 1945), Spanish composer
• Paco Gento (born 1933), Spanish footballer
• Paco Godia (1921–1990), Spanish racing driver
• Paco González (born 1966), Spanish sport journalist
• Paco Herrera (born 1953), Spanish footballer
• Paco Ibáñez (born 1934), Spanish singer
• Paco Jamandreu (1925–1995), Argentine fashion designer and actor
• Paco Jémez (born 1970), Spanish footballer
• Paco Lala's (born 1973), Mexican TV host
• Paco León (born 1974), Spanish actor
• Paco Moncayo (born 1940), mayor of Quito, Ecuador
• Paco Peña (born 1942), Spanish Flamenco guitarist
• Paco Rabanne (born 1934), haute couture designer
• Paco Stanley (1942–1999), Mexican television entertainer and politician
• Paco Ignacio Taibo I (1924–2008), Spanish/Mexican writer and journalist
• Paco Ignacio Taibo II (born 1949), Spanish/Mexican writer, academic, and politician