UK name, mostly boys
Nana
A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "beautiful" or "grace.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 819 girls.
Nana is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Nana popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #691, with 52 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 52 births.
This profile covers 838 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Nana is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 832 living people in the UK are called Nana. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Nana ranked #691 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 52 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 52 boys were registered as Nana.
- • Nana is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 832 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nana as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 50.6% of Nana registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#691
2024
Births in 2024
52
Latest year
Peak year
2024
52 births
Estimated living
832
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Nana
In England and Wales birth records, Nana has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 50.6% of registrations are for boys and 49.4% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Nana registered for boys
- Ranked #691 in 2024
- 52 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (52 births)
Nana registered for girls
- Ranked #776 in 2024
- 48 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (49 births)
Meaning
What does Nana mean?
The name Nana has its origins in various cultures and languages around the world, each with their own unique history and significance.
In Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, the word "nana" means "maternal grandmother" or "respectful address for an elderly woman." It is believed to have been used as a term of endearment and respect for older female relatives or elders in the community.
In Greek mythology, Nana was the name of a minor goddess, said to be the daughter of the river god Sangarius. She was associated with fertility and was believed to have nursed the god Zeus when he was an infant.
In Hawaiian culture, the name Nana has been used as a feminine given name, meaning "beautiful" or "grace." It is often associated with the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands and the elegance of the Hawaiian people.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nana is found in ancient Egyptian texts, where it was used as a variant spelling of the name "Naneferkaptah," meaning "beautiful is the soul of Ptah." Ptah was an important deity in Egyptian mythology, associated with creation and craftsmanship.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nana. For example, Nana Sahib (1824-1857) was an Indian rebel leader who played a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company.
Nana Mouskouri (born 1934) is a Greek singer and politician, renowned for her successful music career spanning over six decades and her political activism in Greece and Europe.
Nana Visitor (born 1957) is an American actress best known for her role as Kira Nerys in the popular science fiction series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
Nana Mizuki (born 1980) is a Japanese voice actress and singer, known for her work in various anime series and her successful music career, particularly in the J-pop genre.
Nana Patekar (born 1951) is an Indian actor, writer, and filmmaker, who has made significant contributions to the Marathi and Hindi film industries, earning numerous awards and accolades for his performances.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nana over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Nana in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Nana, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 52 births in 2024, compared with 52 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nana by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nana was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #916 | 178 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1055 | 279 | 10 |
| 2000s | #782 | 314 | 10 |
| 1990s | #942 | 67 | 4 |
Notable bearers
Famous people named Nana
-
Nana Boakye-Yiadom
association football player
Footballer (born 1996)
1996-
-
Nana Ofori-Twumasi
association football player
English professional footballer (born 1990)
1990-
-
Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
writer; businessperson; blogger
Ghanaian feminist writer and blogger
1978-
Related
Names similar to Nana
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Nana: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nana in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nana was ranked #691 for boys in England and Wales, with 52 births registered.
When was Nana most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 52 babies registered as Nana in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nana?
A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "beautiful" or "grace.".
How many people are called Nana in the UK?
A total of 838 babies have been registered as Nana across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.