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Baby names

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Original poster

Fanny for a girl?

294 replies

LemonZebras · 21/02/2026 16:59

Hi everyone,

I’m expecting a baby girl. My husband is French and is insistent that he wants to name our daughter after his aunt who raised him - Fanny! It’s a common French name, but the baby will be born and raised in the UK.

Am I unreasonable to say no and to worry that she would be bullied or made fun of? My husband thinks I’m overreacting and that the slang word is barely used nowadays and that not many people know of it.

I will be showing him this thread with the different responses.

Thank you

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bondix · 23/02/2026 00:06

No - stand firm on this one. Use it as a middle name if you are forced to. Or consider Francesca, it’s a lot better 🫶🏻

BCBird · 22/02/2026 22:43

VaccineSticker · 22/02/2026 18:42

Show him this thread!
your poor baby!

I agree with the above quote.

Paintitblack222 · 22/02/2026 22:17

If you name your daughter Fanny and bring her up in the UK she will be laughed at, teased and very likely bullied all through her life abd grow up hating you. It's slag for vagina here. Do not do this to her. You should be able to name your child whatever you want. But you can't. So don't. Don't call her Fanny 😒

Meryl Streep Miranda Priestley GIF
Studyunder · 22/02/2026 21:01

Google “ya couple of fannies” there will be many, many videos from a Scottish sketch show…. There are so many other reasons I could add but the shorter answer is NO!

Maybe look up the French slang for vagina and insist on that?

It’s also slang for butt in America, so lerhaps a French phrase for nether regions 🤷🏼‍♀️

DefiantRabbit9 · 22/02/2026 20:53

Absolutely not if you're going to live in the UK. Kids are arseholes and will rip her to shreds. Maybe Tiffany or use Fanny as a middle name.

mrswithkidsx · 22/02/2026 20:48

I'm a mother of 3 girls and I'm mid 30s but HAHAHAHAHAHA is he being serious oh my goodness he must hate his kid she will he bullied forever even I'd be in stitches at a kid named fanny.. would he call your boy cock?

Fireflybaby · 22/02/2026 20:20

If you plan to raise the child in UK past the age of 3, I would highly recommend to reconsider or add it as a middle name that will only be used as F. For example Alexandra F Smith.
But please, for the love of God, convince your partner that Fanny is not a good name in UK...

mummydoorgirl · 22/02/2026 20:17

I had a tortoise called Fanny, she was named at the start of the 20th century when Fanny was just a girls name. By the 1990s when she became my tortoise it caused endless hilarity when I told people and I. I can only imagine the piss taking a child would ensure.

AChickenNamedDoris · 22/02/2026 20:14

Of course you shouldn't name her Fanny! I'm sorry but your husband is being ridiculous, does he realise what it means over here?!! The poor child would be so bullied, it doesn't bare thinking about 😬

hypnovic · 22/02/2026 19:47

Hard NO

ChocolateCinderToffee · 22/02/2026 19:13

NO

in France, Fanny is short for Stephanie, so you could call her that and he can shorten it to Fanny when he's in France. If he must.

Noodles1234 · 22/02/2026 19:04

you could, then when you register the child for school there is a box where it says “known as” and you can change the name, so all registers etc they will be known as the name you choose. However, all legal documents ie GCSE papers etc will show their legal name. But an option if it goes through.

It is a popular name in France; I spent a lot of time growing up in France and I remember explaining what it meant in English when we were teens and they were visibly shocked.

Is there a more formal (longer) name for Fanny? Then legally she can have the longer name and Fanny at home?

Astronautsdontcareaboutbeans · 22/02/2026 18:54

Brandyinmyteaplease · 22/02/2026 18:50

No! Tell him it would be like you wanting to call your child ‘Connie’ and have it shortened to ‘Con’, which is the masculine for the swear word CNUT in French. I know you can’t have a masculine CNUT literally, but as a swear word that is what it is!

Can you not write the word cunt?

Brandyinmyteaplease · 22/02/2026 18:50

No! Tell him it would be like you wanting to call your child ‘Connie’ and have it shortened to ‘Con’, which is the masculine for the swear word CNUT in French. I know you can’t have a masculine CNUT literally, but as a swear word that is what it is!

Theonebutnotonly · 22/02/2026 18:47

Absolutely not! It would be cruel.

Tell him about the children's book The Faraway Tree. One of the children was originally called Fanny but when they republished it they changed it to Frannie because they knew no modern child could be called Fanny. (I don’t like Frannie either, but it’s better than Fanny.)

VaccineSticker · 22/02/2026 18:42

Show him this thread!
your poor baby!

Spacedsunshine1 · 22/02/2026 18:41

100% not! Do not call your child Fanny!

Justgorgeous · 22/02/2026 18:39

😄 No !

Talktomyselfforhours · 22/02/2026 18:37

No word of a lie, a relative in my husbands family was called Fanny, she went on to marry her husband who's surname was Tickle!

Willmoris · 22/02/2026 18:13

Tell him once he's changed his name by deed poll to Dick or Willy, then you'll consider it.

NameChange30 · 22/02/2026 17:52

PS My DH is French and has a very good friend called Fanny, she is wonderful but I can't help but internally snigger every time I hear her name!

NameChange30 · 22/02/2026 17:51

LemonZebras · 21/02/2026 17:27

Thank you everyone! My husband has read the thread, he’s agreed that Fanny was a no-go, and we are now considering Louise instead, his aunt’s middle name.

Well that's a relief Grin
I was going to suggest using her middle name instead and Louise is lovely. I know a few French/English girls called Louise. You could use it as a middle name instead if you prefer.
What surname will she have, yours or his or both?

Hopelesscase32 · 22/02/2026 17:51

Absolutely not. Your husband is insane

Vigorouslysnuggled · 22/02/2026 17:47

scottishgirl69 · 22/02/2026 15:49

She's already said they have changed their mind and are calling the baby Louise

They or he?!

Vigorouslysnuggled · 22/02/2026 17:41

The fact that your DH is insistent on naming the child you are carrying is disgusting and I’d be reconsidering the marriage.

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