Fannie

Fannie is a feminine given name, commonly a diminutive of Frances or Fanny. It has appeared as a standalone name in English-speaking countries since the 19th century and has been used across various regions and periods. Variants include Fanny, and longer forms such as Frances that are sometimes shortened to Fannie.

In a financial and institutional context, Fannie Mae refers to the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA). Created in 1938 during the New Deal, it was established to expand mortgage credit by purchasing mortgages from lenders, guaranteeing them, and pooling them into mortgage-backed securities sold to investors. In 1968, it was converted from a government agency into a stockholder-owned corporation. During the 2008 financial crisis, Fannie Mae, together with Freddie Mac, was placed into conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency, with the U.S. Treasury providing capital support. Since then, it has operated under conservatorship and remains under FHFA oversight as of the 2020s.

Notable people named Fannie include Fannie Lou Hamer (1927–1977), an American civil rights activist; Fannie Flagg (born 1944), an American author and actress; and Fannie Ward (1870–1957), an American stage and silent film actress.