A franklin is historically a medieval English social class term referring to a free landowner who is not of noble birth. In the Middle English period, a franklin (also spelled frankelein, franklein, or franklin) denoted a man who held land and status as a freeman, but who was not part of the hereditary nobility. The term is etymologically linked to the idea of freedom and landholding, and it marks the emergence of a property-owning middle class in 14th–15th century England. This usage appears in sources discussing medieval English society and its social ranks.