Fifi is a diminutive of the French name Philippine, which is derived from the male name Philip. The name Philip has Greek origins and means "lower" or "friend of horses." Therefore, Fifi could be interpreted as meaning "little friend" or "small lower."
The name Philippine was popularized by Saint Philippine Duchesne, a French woman who became a missionary in New Spain (now Mexico) in the late 18th century. She founded several schools and convents and is considered the first female saint born in France.
The name Fifi has been used as a nickname for both girls and boys, but it is more commonly associated with females. It gained popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in France and other French-speaking countries. Today, Fifi is still used as a given name, although it may be considered old-fashioned or outdated by some.
In popular culture, the most famous bearer of the name Fifi is likely Fifi la Petite Canaille, a character from several French films made between 1932 and 1945. The character was portrayed by a male actor but was intended to be female, contributing to the name's association with females despite its unisex origins.
In summary, Fifi is a diminutive of the French name Philippine, which has Greek origins meaning "lower" or "friend of horses." It gained popularity through Saint Philippine Duchesne and became more widely used as a nickname for girls in the early 20th century. Today, it is considered an old-fashioned name but remains in use nonetheless.
Based on the statistics provided, it appears that the name Fifi has had a fluctuating popularity over the years in the United States. The highest number of births with the name Fifi occurred in 1923 and 1926, with 10 births each year. This could indicate that there was a brief trend towards naming children Fifi during this period.
However, the total number of births with the name Fifi over the years is relatively low, with only 141 occurrences in total from 1916 to 1974. This suggests that the name has never been particularly common or popular in the United States during this time period.
It's worth noting that these statistics represent a specific period of time and may not reflect current trends or popularity of the name Fifi today. Names can go in and out of fashion over time, so it would be interesting to see how the popularity of the name Fifi has changed since these figures were recorded.
Overall, while there have been periods where the name Fifi was slightly more popular among parents in the United States, it has never been a top choice or particularly common name overall.