Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
YouOKHun · 21/02/2026 17:25

Why not call her Vulva, no child wants to be saddled with a nick name like Fanny once they’re an adult.

Sausagemagoo · 21/02/2026 17:26

No no no! Ugh!

CarrotGiraffeandaTeddyBear · 21/02/2026 17:26

How about Pussy instead?

FortyFacedFuckers · 21/02/2026 17:26

Absolutely do not do it!!

I actually worked with a French lady called this and even grown adults acted very awfully
about it!

fruitsalads · 21/02/2026 17:26

GreenEyesIsBack · 21/02/2026 17:15

NOT Myfanwy, which just sounds like, my fanny.
I know it's a lovely Welsh name, but just no.

Show quote history

My Welsh friends have a Myfanwy, lovely name but they shorten it to Myf, which everyone pronounces Muff!! I think that’s even worse than Fanny!! 😂

Pineneedlesincarpet · 21/02/2026 17:26

DON'T DO IT OP.

BrightLightTonight · 21/02/2026 17:26

Absolutely not!

Even without the sexual connotations, it was always a name for a scullery maid.

StephensLass1977 · 21/02/2026 17:26

Nope. It is literally slang for vagina. Up to you ultimately, but it's a massive no from me.

Original poster
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.

OP posts:
Changename12 · 21/02/2026 17:27

No you can’t Don’t you both have to agree to the name anyway?

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 21/02/2026 17:27

No

FrozenFebruary · 21/02/2026 17:27

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 21/02/2026 17:23

Willie and Dick are not fine. No one this century calls their kid Dick.

You can't call her Fanny. I don't even think it's a name in the UK anymore (as in actually used for babies in the last 40? years) because it's so universally means female genitlia. I tried to think of another slang term to use there and all I could think of was fanny. Possibly 'twat'?

The ONS lists how many babies have had a name since 1996. They only count if more than 2 have had the name in a year. There are no results for Fanny. Hopefully that will make your DH realise it really is that bad.

@LemonZebras

this is worth highlighting to him! THAT's how bad it is!!

Glendaruel · 21/02/2026 17:27

What about Fanny Virginia? Think it has something memorable about it?

Nevermind17 · 21/02/2026 17:27

Suggest Chatte or Minou instead.

Original poster
LemonZebras · 21/02/2026 17:27

WearyAuldWumman · 21/02/2026 17:26

No.

Show him the Irn Bru advert.

This is brilliant!!

OP posts:
peacefulpeach · 21/02/2026 17:27

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.

Phew! A close call for your daughter.

llamashoe · 21/02/2026 17:28

You need to show him the Irn Bru advert where the baby is called Fanny 😅

Edit: just noticed this has already been discussed!

Pineappleice43 · 21/02/2026 17:28

Don't do it!

Flannelfeet · 21/02/2026 17:28

😆 🤣 😂. Sweet fanny Adams!!

Her wee brother can be named dick.

FrozenFebruary · 21/02/2026 17:28

fruitsalads · 21/02/2026 17:26

My Welsh friends have a Myfanwy, lovely name but they shorten it to Myf, which everyone pronounces Muff!! I think that’s even worse than Fanny!! 😂

Show quote history

Sometimes you just can't win!! 🤣🤣

Original poster
LemonZebras · 21/02/2026 17:28

FrozenFebruary · 21/02/2026 17:27

@LemonZebras

this is worth highlighting to him! THAT's how bad it is!!

Show quote history

He did use the Dick argument funnily enough. He agrees now

OP posts:
NoWinnersOnlyLosers · 21/02/2026 17:28

Stephanie, yes. Fanny no

holycrapballs · 21/02/2026 17:28

dontforgetme · 21/02/2026 17:00

Definitely not!! Kids are mean and teenage girls can be super bitchy. I wouldn’t even use it as a middle name op.

Not just kids. I would totally be quietly taking the piss/staging an intervention if my friend was making their kid Fanny.

WearyAuldWumman · 21/02/2026 17:28

Show your husband the advert. Then explain slowly and carefully that his chosen name will lead to his child being mercilessly bullied for the entirety of her school days.

Swipe left for the next trending thread