Nan
Medieval pet form of Ann that arose from the phrase mine Ann; Ann itself comes through Greek and Latin from the Hebrew Hannah, meaning grace.
Nan in 2025
Nan was not given to any babies in 2025. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once at least five babies receive it in a year, so Nan has fallen below that threshold.
The history of Nan
Nan reached its highest point in 1947, when 255 babies were given the name, ranking 935th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 572nd, in 1889.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 10,274 babies have been named Nan. Half of them were born before 1942, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Nan by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nan | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 322 | 572 |
| 1890s | 405 | 595 |
| 1900s | 457 | 690 |
| 1910s | 825 | 914 |
| 1920s | 1,198 | 1,113 |
| 1930s | 1,467 | 864 |
| 1940s | 2,099 | 900 |
| 1950s | 2,181 | 986 |
| 1960s | 877 | 1,385 |
| 1970s | 223 | 3,575 |
| 1980s | 121 | 6,145 |
| 1990s | 62 | 11,856 |
| 2000s | 24 | 18,177 |
| 2010s | 7 | 22,881 |
| 2020s | 6 | 24,446 |
Where Nan is heading
Nan was not in use ten years ago, so there is no decade-long trend to compare against yet.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Nan is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Nan
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nan.