The story
f is short for focal.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: Any of the discrete steps or stopping points for adjusting the aperture of a lens, either marked on a ring on the lens and adjusted by rotating that ring or marked in the display of a digital camera and adjusted by buttons or touch-sensitive controls. Full definition →
f is short for focal.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.