Nan
Meaning: “grace, gracious, graced with child”
About the name Nan
Nan is a girl name with Hebrew roots, meaning “grace, gracious, graced with child”. It is related to Ann, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a unique, short & sweet feel. Fewer than 5 US babies of either sex received it in 2025, so it's very rare right now. Its peak year since 1940 was 1947. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Nan were girls.
Etymology
A diminutive of Ann, which comes from Hebrew, meaning “grace, gracious, graced with child”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Nan”, “Ann”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- Not ranked
- In 2015
- Not ranked
- Babies in 2025
- Under 5
Popularity of Nan, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Nan
Nan is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Nan
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.