Fanny
Fanny was the 6397th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 18 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 183rd; the most babies were born in 1916 (241). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,169 places. More babies were named Fanny in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Fannie) pet form of Frances; "Frenchwoman" · Latin, English
- Rank in 2025
- #6,397 girls, up 3,390 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 18girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1916241 babies
- Total since 1880
- 9,654babies recorded
What does the name Fanny mean?
Fanny is a spelling of Fannie, pronounced the same way, so it shares Fannie's meaning and origin.
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)
Fanny popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,397 | 18 |
| 2020 | #9,787 | 10 |
| 2010 | #5,480 | 25 |
| 2000 | #3,912 | 32 |
| 1990 | #1,998 | 68 |
| 1980 | #2,401 | 40 |
| 1970 | #2,596 | 28 |
| 1960 | #2,209 | 28 |
| 1950 | #1,506 | 38 |
| 1940 | #1,225 | 36 |
| 1930 | #624 | 124 |
| 1920 | #454 | 222 |
| 1910 | #391 | 102 |
| 1900 | #363 | 86 |
| 1890 | #272 | 84 |
| 1880 | #183 | 67 |
How popular is Fanny, counting every spelling?
Fanny is a spelling of Fannie, 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 Fanny?
18 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fanny (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Fanny 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 465 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fanny.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fanny?
About 3,000 people born in the US named Fanny are alive today, with a median age of 39; half are between 25 and 62. That makes Fanny mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Fanny by state
How common Fanny was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 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 Fanny: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fanny, they share its era and feel.
Fanny is also a nickname for Frances.
Questions about the name Fanny
What does Fanny mean?
Fanny is a spelling of Fannie, which means “pet form of Frances; "Frenchwoman"” (Latin, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Fanny?
Fanny was the 6397th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 18 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 183rd; the most babies were born in 1916 (241). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,169 places. More babies were named Fanny in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Fanny a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Fanny in the US.
Where is Fanny most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fanny was most common in Florida (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and California.