Fanny
Fanny is a feminine given name. It originated as a diminutive of the English given name Frances or the French Françoise, both meaning "free one", and of the Spanish name "Estefanía" and the French name Stéphanie, both meaning "crown".
- English
- French
- Spanish
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Fanny
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Fanny is a feminine given name. It originated as a diminutive of the English given name Frances or the French Françoise, both meaning "free one", and of the Spanish name "Estefanía" and the French name Stéphanie, both meaning "crown".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
- Spanish
- Swedish
The Story of Fanny
The earliest SSA record of Fanny as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 67 babies received it. 1916 was its biggest year on record, with 241 newborns named Fanny — #404 in the national rankings. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,760 among baby girl names with 28 births, rising sharply (+47% over the past five years). In total, more than 10K Fannys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Fanny
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Fanny. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Fanny
Phonetically similar names — useful when Fanny is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fanny
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About the name Fanny
Fanny is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Fanny's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #182. Use the chart and map above to compare Fanny's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.