Name In Coffin: Fanny

Fanny, as a name, is a nickname form of Frances, and means "from France". As with many nicknames used as full names, some are everlasting, such as Charlie or Lily, others fall from grace. Fanny falls into the latter category, which might be surprising for some since nicknames such as Danny are still in vogue. However, it's not so much it's sound that has become outdated, it's the meaning the name has in slang talk that has probably sealed it's fate as a coffin baby name.

"Fanny", as most of you know, means your backside aka your butt. Probably not the best meaning to name a girl these days. Even worse, go to the UK or Australia, and "fanny" over there means the female sexual organ aka vagina. Heck even fanny packs are seen as unfashionable and outdated these days.



Fanny was never super popular in the 1900s, in fact it spent most of its run in the SSA rank falling year after year. However, it was definitely used back then, and it's just a name I can't see being used again, at least not until "fanny" starts to mean something else. Take a look at its run:

As you can see, Fanny peaked at #226 in the 1880s, when the SSA list first started, and kept falling until it's exit in 1939, never to be seen again.

Do you think Fanny will ever make a comeback? Or do you agree with me that's it's dead and buried?