Sir Francis Baring (18 April 1740 – 11 September 1810) was an English merchant, banker and politician who founded Barings Bank – once Britain's oldest bank.

His family were originally Lutherans from Groningen in Friesland, Germany, but his father, John (Johann) Baring moved from Bremen to England where, in 1717, he started a small wool and linen business at Larkbear near Exeter, where Francis, his third son, was born 23 years later. John Baring's business thrived and when he died in 1748 he was regarded as one of the region’s richest merchants.

Francis Baring was placed with a commercial firm in London, and then founded John and Francis Baring Company (in 1763) which acted as import and export agents for goods extending from textiles to spices, copper and diamonds, and was involved in the slave trade. However, he soon realised that financing trade might be a more reliable way to make money than trading itself. By guaranteeing that the supplier would be paid by the buyer, he provided the credit that oiled international trade, and Baring's firm became one of London's first 'acceptance houses' – effectively, a merchant bank. Baring renamed the firm Baring Brothers and Company in 1806.

Baring also became a director of the East India Company in 1779 and acted as chairman between 1792 and 1793 - services for which he was made a baronet in 1793. Serving twice as MP for High Wycombe, Baring was a close associate of William Pitt the Younger, helping finance the Napoleonic Wars and underwriting marine insurance. He also helped finance the United States' purchase of Louisiana from the French in 1802.

On 12 May 1767, he married Harriet Herring, by whom he had five sons: Thomas (1772-1848), Alexander (1774–1848), Henry (1776-1848), William (1779-1820) and George (1781-1854). Alexander was his successor in charge of the family banking firm.

He lived in the Manor House at Lee in south-east London – the building, once home to Francis Baring's substantial art collection, now houses a large public library while its garden is an extensive public park.