Is the name Fanny short for another name

[Sloe Gin]

What was wrong with that? 

Saint Petronilla

(edited to make link clearer)

[Winterbloom21]

I know!    How unreasonable.    There could have been lots of potential saints called Petronella, for all she knew!

[coombs]

I have a relative called Fanny Brain. She was from Oxfordshire. Yes I also say Fanny is a name in its own right but is a short name for Frances.

[Plummiegirl]

Fanny is one of those names which can be a shortened version of Frances or Francine but is also a name in it's own right.

So when looking for records you do have to think outside the  'Fanny' name.

For years I was looking for records of my g/g/aunt Ellen, only to finally realise her real name was Eleanor

[coombs]

My great gran was born Ellen but was known as Helen and in 1911 census she was Nellie.

[Winterbloom21]

SG - that is so funny - I'd never heard of her until now either!    And obviously, the poor girl who wanted to use the name hadn't either, or she could have stood up for her choice instead of being steered towards the more usual Margaret, Mary, Bridget list!    You learn something new every day.....

[samalexander]

In my own research when I've come across the name Fanny it has been short for Frances. However, I believe it could also be a diminutive of the name Ann or Anne.

[brigidmac]

I have come across a few Russian jewish ladies who were born  Feiga or Feige (im not sure how it was pronounced)
They  gradually started using Fannie or Fanny especially around wprld war 1
(never Frances ) so it must have seemed the best angliscised version

[torre]

I have a lady in my family tree named Tryphena.

Her baptism record record has her as Tryphena and on her childrens' birth certificates she is Tryphena.

But in all the census records she is Fanny and she is even Fanny on her second marriage certificate and her death certificate.