Question: Italy certainly started out using the term, which is derived from Senatorial regalia.

Hitler's Germany can also pretty safely be classified as such, that's the regime most people have in mind when referring to Fasciscm.

However, did Franco ever refer to his regime as Fascist, at least during the time when the term had some level of appeal?

I am not looking to equate Franco's regime, as bad as it was, to Hitler's. Only wondering if he, or his government, **used** the term "Fascism" from Mussolini and Hitler, with whom he had somewhat cordial relations and which started out as equivalently authoritarian/militaristic.

### Edit re. "most people"

While this is admittedly a sloppy term, there is a strong association in the public mind of Fascism with Hitler's Germany.

Google's ngram are not applicable, but, when searching Google itself, you can see that my claim, while sloppy, has some validity:

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/b1c21.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/b1c21.jpg)

Answer: 
No. Franco was a [**Falangist**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falange_Espa%C3%B1ola), and called himself that. *(In real life more of a military opportunist, who grabbed his chance.)* [Fascists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Fascism) were the followers of Mussolini. Hitler was a [National-Socialist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism). Each saw themselves as distinctly different from the other.

Fascist became the generic term for all of them **after** WW2. Mainly because **inter**national socialists were painfully aware how close the words national and international are. Today the term Fascists is essentially meaningless. Just about anybody - regardless of whatever political affiliation - can and has been branded fascist. Even [Trotski](https://buddhistsocialism.weebly.com/leon-trotsky-ndash-the-fascist.html) was called a fascist (by Stalin, I think).

Please follow the link on Trotksi, for a good laugh. I didn't add it because it is a serious article (more the opposite) but to show just about anyone can be called Fascist.
Franco was for all intents and purposes a fascist.

As Jos pointed out, the official (English) name of his party was ["Falangist"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FET_y_de_las_JONS), which refers to a "phalanx" and indirectly, military rule. But the Wikipedia article points out that Franco took the title "National Chief" which was a "fascist" designation.