# Fannie Mae vs. Fannie May

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 19, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307 "2008-09-19T13:52:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307/1 "2008-09-19T13:52:27Z")

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Was the naming of these two entities really just a coincidence?

From what I could dig up Fannie May candies started in Chicago back in 1920.

Fannie Mae (or FNMA) was created by FDR in 1938.

Did FNMA really come up with the Fannie Mae nickname by coincidence or was it a play on the name of the Chicago based company?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307/2 "2008-09-19T13:59:38Z")

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FNMA didn’t come up with “Fannie Mae,” the people trading their securities did. FNMA later adopted the nickname officially.

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**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307/3 "2008-09-19T14:08:48Z")

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So did the “people trading their securities” come up with it as a play on the candy company name?

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307/4 "2008-09-19T14:14:53Z")

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Considering that for awhile lotsa ppl referred to the stock of Microsoft (MSFT) as Mr Softee, I’d say yes.

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**Author:** ![Black\_Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@Black\_Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Sunshine)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307/5 "2008-09-19T16:29:25Z")

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I \<3 Fannie May. Trinidads are the best candy in the history of candy.

I was very confused as a child when I’d here that name associated with mortgages.

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fannie-mae-vs-fannie-may/464307/6 "2008-09-19T20:31:29Z")

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After they started calling it Fannie Mae, this turned into a cute little game with Freddie Mac, Farmer Mac, Sallie Mae, Ginnie Mae, and I don’t remember what else.

Fannie Mae finally gave in a few years ago and trademarked “Fannie Mae” and started doing business under that name, though their legal name remains Federal National Mortgage Association. (My wife works for FNMA, or, as I like to say, The Big Fannie.)