Fannie
Fannie was the 3356th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 46 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 47th; the most babies were born in 1918 (2,014). Over the last ten years it has moved down 207 places. More babies were named Fannie in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Frances; "Frenchwoman" · Latin, English
Say it FAN-ee /ˈfæni/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,356 girls, down 822 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 46girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19182,014 babies
- Total since 1880
- 85,949babies recorded
What does the name Fannie mean?
Fannie (also Fanny) is an English pet form of Frances, and it was long given as a formal name in its own right. Frances is the feminine of Francis, from the Latin Francisca, meaning "Frankish woman" and later "Frenchwoman". DMNES notes that Frances was rare in England before the 16th century and much more common on the continent. Fannie was common in the US from the 1880s to the 1920s and faded afterward.
Francisca (Latin, “Frankish (woman), French (woman)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Fanny, Frances, Francine, Frankie.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fannie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Frances', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Frances', DMNES (Durham University)
Fannie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 369 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,356 | 46 |
| 2020 | #2,534 | 68 |
| 2010 | #3,538 | 45 |
| 2000 | #2,466 | 62 |
| 1990 | #2,265 | 56 |
| 1980 | #1,647 | 70 |
| 1970 | #1,172 | 99 |
| 1960 | #668 | 232 |
| 1950 | #337 | 533 |
| 1940 | #221 | 750 |
| 1930 | #166 | 1,225 |
| 1920 | #127 | 1,979 |
| 1910 | #78 | 1,237 |
| 1900 | #62 | 1,237 |
| 1890 | #52 | 1,005 |
| 1880 | #49 | 560 |
How popular is Fannie, counting every spelling?
Fannie is the most common spelling of a name family that had 64 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 64 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fannie | 46 | #3,356 | 265 |
| Fanny | 18 | #6,397 | 112 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Fannie?
46 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fannie (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Fannie born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 182 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fannie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fannie?
About 13,300 people born in the US named Fannie are alive today, with a median age of 74; half are between 56 and 83. That makes Fannie a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Fannie by state
How common Fannie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (10.9×), Missouri (6.3×), New York (1.6×). In 44 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fannie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fannie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fannie · Sibling names for Fannie
Questions about the name Fannie
What does Fannie mean?
Fannie means “pet form of Frances; "Frenchwoman"” (Latin, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Fannie?
Fannie was the 3356th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 46 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 47th; the most babies were born in 1918 (2,014). Over the last ten years it has moved down 207 places. More babies were named Fannie in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Fannie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Fannie in the US.
Where is Fannie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fannie was most common in Pennsylvania (0.35 per 1,000 girls), followed by Missouri and Kentucky.