Given name & surname
Fana
“one who provides light”
Fana is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “one who provides light.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “one who provides light.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1986. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Fana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18
- 0 boys · 18 girls
- Most popular year
- 1988
- 7 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #13,756 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 13,756 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 7 in 1988. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 263 as a first name in 2020; 718 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Fana’s family of names
Fana has a related form in Faina. Fana has a related form in Fanah. Fana has a related form in Fanna.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Fana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Taja
“one who is mentioned” · “wearing a crown”
>99% girls
Fanta
“born on a beautiful day”
>99% girls
Aissa
“one who is thankful”
>99% girls
Azana
“one who is superior”
>99% girls
Sarda
“one who is hurried; quick” · “one who is in a hurry”
>99% girls
Hasina
“one who is good and beautiful”
>99% girls
Aba
“born on a Thursday”
16% boys · 84% girls
Panya
“an enthroned woman; crowned with laurel” · “a small child; mousy”
>99% girls