Fannie

Fannie is an English diminutive of Frances. Frances is the female form of Francis. Francis comes from the Late Latinate “Franciscus” which was a vocabulary word defining the “French” or “Frenchman”. It was given as a nickname to St. Francis of Assisi (whose Italian baptismal name was actually Giovanni) because of his wealthy father’s business connections in France and his general admiration of the French people. St. Francis had a pleasant, happy childhood, but as a young man, a couple of bad experiences caused him to turn away from the material world and devote himself to the poor and sick. After he was joined by a few disciples, these so-called Franciscans dedicated themselves to humility, poverty and the love for all living creatures. St. Francis is often depicted surrounded by animals, particularly birds, so it’s no surprise that he is the patron saint of animals and the environment, but he is also the patron saint of Italy. Thanks to the cult that grew up around St. Francis, the name spread in the 14th century and became even more popular during the Italian Renaissance of the 16th century. This medieval classic has given way to several forms in various languages including François (French), Franz (German), Francisco (Spanish), and Francesco or Franco (Italian). The feminine versions of this name are Frances, Francesca or Françoise and the many pet forms include Franny, Frank, Fran, Fanny, Frankie, Francie and Sissy.