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Fanya

Quick answerFanya is a diminutive of the Russian name Faina, meaning "shining" or "bright," derived from the Greek word *phainein* (to shine).

Greek · Girl · 2 syllables

F
Rare

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#14,934
TrendFalling ↓
Peak year1977
Syllables2
OriginGreek
LanguageRussian
CultureRussian and Jewish
Letters5
Numerology2 Chaldean 7
Global rank#4,832

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Fanya

Fanya is a diminutive of the Russian name Faina, meaning "shining" or "bright," derived from the Greek word *phainein* (to shine).

This meaning was compiled with AI assistance and is awaiting community review. Know this name well? Help verify or improve it.

Etymology

Fanya is a diminutive of the Russian name Faina, meaning "shining" or "bright," derived from the Greek word *phainein* (to shine). It is primarily used in Russian and Jewish (Yiddish-speaking) cultures, often as a nickname for Faina or a variant of the Hebrew name Penina, and gained some historical note through the Russian revolutionary Fanya Kaplan.

Fanya currently ranks #14,934 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1977.

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