Fanny
Meaning
“A pet form of Frances; famously borne by Fanny Fern, who said the name came from childhood memories of her mother gathering sweet fern.”
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Fanny peaked in the 1890s and the 1920s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
1,116 people · the #7,675 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 200,000 · median age 38
Among people named Fanny living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 43 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Fanny
Most people given the name Fanny in the United States were born between 1950 and 2009. The Fanny you meet today is most often in her 30s or 40s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Fanny deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Fanny truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Fanny fits with your family’s names and surname.
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