Nana

Nana is a boy's name of Japanese origin meaning “father.” In 2024 it was given to 12 boys in the United States.

Nana at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Japanese · African
Meaning
“father”

About the name Nana

Nana belongs to the Japanese and African tradition. Its meaning — “father” — is the sense carried by its Japanese roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Nana first appears in Social Security records in 1972. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #3088 in 2003, and in 2024 12 babies received the name — 850 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Nana in US records

First recorded (US)
1972
Best US rank
#3088 in 2003
Peak year
2014
Babies named Nana in 2024
12
Total since 1880
850

Nana in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#576 in 2004
Babies named Nana in 2025
60
Total since 1996
898

Similar names

More names from the Japanese shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Nana mean?

Nana means “father” in its Japanese roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Nana a boy or girl name?

Nana is a boy name. In 2024, 12 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Nana?

Nana comes from the Japanese and African tradition.

How popular is the name Nana?

Nana first appears in US records in 1972. Its best-ever ranking was #3088 in 2003, and 12 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.