Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1916

Fanny

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #6,397

A diminutive of the female given name Frances, itself also becoming a given name.

Rank 2025
#6,397
among girls · ↓1,196 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
18
named Fanny · -28% vs 2024
How common
1 in 89,293
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1916
241 babies
All-time total
9,654
#1,714 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Fanny popularity over time

9,654 babies have been named Fanny since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1880Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 716 72 – #183
1890s 860 86 +20% #268
1900s 768 77 -11% #348
1910s 1,662 166 +116% #391
1920s 1,735 174 +4% #454
1930s 791 79 -54% #624
1940s 384 38 -51% #1,145
1950s 308 31 -20% #1,506
1960s 256 26 -17% #2,176
1970s 373 37 +46% #1,736
1980s 450 45 +21% #1,996
1990s 567 57 +26% #1,857
2000s 398 40 -30% #2,822
2010s 264 26 -34% #3,228
2020s (to 2025) 122 20 -23% #4,949

The story of Fanny

Fanny is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,397 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 9,654 American babies have been named Fanny. Its peak came in 1916, when 241 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Fanny stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Fanny?

The median living Fanny is about 40 years old; half are between 26 and 64. An estimated 3,100 people named Fanny are alive in the United States today.

median 40 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Fanny year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 18 #6,397
2024 25 #5,201
2023 19 #6,253
2022 27 #4,949
2021 23 #5,459
2020 10 #9,787
2019 19 #6,254
2018 16 #7,207
2017 19 #6,362
2016 29 #4,769
2015 51 #3,228
2014 31 #4,576
2013 17 #7,156
2012 27 #5,149
2011 30 #4,721
2010 25 #5,480
2009 44 #3,634
2008 50 #3,343
2007 39 #4,007
2006 34 #4,292
2005 28 #4,748
2004 41 #3,581
2003 41 #3,490
2002 37 #3,616
2001 52 #2,822
2000 32 #3,912
1995 51 #2,498
1990 68 #1,998
1985 41 #2,412
1980 40 #2,401
1975 41 #2,106
1970 28 #2,596
1965 27 #2,311
1960 28 #2,209
1955 34 #1,818
1950 38 #1,506
1945 45 #1,177
1940 36 #1,225
1935 88 #719
1930 124 #624
1925 188 #514
1920 222 #454
1915 211 #411
1910 102 #391
1905 71 #401
1900 86 #363
1895 94 #296
1890 84 #272
1885 85 #212
1880 67 #183

Famous people named Fanny

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Fanny Brice Fanny Brice American actress, singer, and comedian (1891–1951) 19th century
  2. 2 Fanny Crosby Fanny Crosby American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer (1820–1915) 19th century
  3. 3 Fanny Ardant Fanny Ardant French actress (born 1949) Contemporary
  4. 4 Fanny Kaplan Fanny Kaplan Attempted assassin of Vladimir Lenin (1890–1918) 19th century
  5. 5 Fanny Mendelssohn Fanny Mendelssohn German pianist and composer (1805–1847) 19th century
  6. 6 Fanny Blankers-Koen Fanny Blankers-Koen Dutch athlete (1918–2004) Contemporary
  7. 7 Fanny Bullock Workman Fanny Bullock Workman American mountaineer (1859–1925) 19th century
  8. 8 Fanny Elssler Fanny Elssler Austrian ballerina (1810–1884) 19th century
  9. 9 Fanny Durack Fanny Durack Australian swimmer (1889–1956) 19th century
  10. 10 Fanny Cadeo Fanny Cadeo Italian actress and singer b. 1970 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Fanny Horn Birkeland Fanny Horn Birkeland Norwegian biathlete (born 1988) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Fanny, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Fanny?

The median living Fanny is about 40 years old. Half of all living Fannys are between 26 and 64 years old.

How many people named Fanny are alive today?

An estimated 3,100 people named Fanny are alive in the United States, based on 9,654 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Fanny mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Frances, itself also becoming a given name.

How popular is the name Fanny in 2025?

Fanny ranked #6,397 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Fanny?

9,654 babies have been named Fanny in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Fanny most popular?

Fanny peaked in 1916, when 241 newborns received the name.

Is Fanny a boy or girl name?

Fanny is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Fanny rising or falling?

Fanny is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Fanny?

Well-known people named Fanny include Fanny Brice (actor), Fanny Crosby (writer), Fanny Ardant (actor).

Names like Fanny

Names that sound and feel close to Fanny: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Fanny with similar names → More names starting with F →