Nana is a distinctive choice, ranked #776 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Nana in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#776
About the Name Nana
Nana is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 673 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #678 in 2006 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Nana is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nana
Unlikely. With around 48 UK babies named Nana per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nana in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nana is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 673 places over the last five years to #776 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Nana is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Nana include: Nana Hedin — Nana Hedin Pranschke, known as Nana Hedin, is a Swedish singer.; Nana Shettima — Nana Kashim Shettima is the second lady of Nigeria since 2023, as the wife of Vice President Kashim Shettima.; Nana Asakawa — Nana Asakawa is a Japanese actress and former singer..
Nana does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Nanas in the wild.
48
UK babies named Nana (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 673 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nana
Likely around 1 other Nana in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Nana
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Nana Kashim Shettima is the second lady of Nigeria since 2023, as the wife of Vice President Kashim Shettima. She was the first lady of Borno State from 2011 to 2019 when her husband was governor.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025. He previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the administration of then-president John Kufuor.
Nana Aba Anamoah is a Ghanaian media personality. Until her resignation from TV3, she presented the news and hosted top shows, including The Divas Show.
Nana Kwame Akuoko Sarpong, was a Ghanaian traditional ruler, politician and lawyer. He was the paramount chief or Omanhene of the Agogo Traditional Area of Ghana.
Ernest "Owoahene" Nana Acheampong, popularly known as Nana Acheampong, is a Ghanaian Highlife musician. He is also the other half of the famous Lumba brothers who popularized Burger-highlife in Ghana (the other is Charles Kojo Fosu, also known as Daddy Lumba).
Nana Konadu Yiadom III was the 14th Asantehemaa of the Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana. She was the elder sister of the current Asantehene, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, and succeeded her mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, in 2017.
Nana Asmaʾu (; full name: Asmaʾu bint Shehu Usman dan Fodiyo , Arabic: نانا أسماء بنت عثمان فودي; 1793–1864) was a Fula princess, poet, teacher, public intellectual, political actor and scholarly authority and a daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman dan Fodio. She remains a revered figure in northern Nigeria.