Fanny

Fanny is primarily an English diminutive of Frances, which itself derives from the Latin Franciscus, meaning ‘from France’ or ‘Frenchman.’ In French, Fanny is also used as a pet form of Stéphanie. The name became established in England by the eighteenth century and is notably borne by Fanny Price, the heroine of Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park. Fanny Mendelssohn, a German composer and sister of Felix Mendelssohn, is another well-known historical bearer. The American spelling variant Fannie is also in use.