Nana
/N-AA-N-AA/
King, queen, grandparent — Nana is the Akan honorific used for kings (Nana Otumfuo), queen mothers (Nana ohemma), chiefs, and respected elders, and it doubles as a personal name. Carried as a unisex name across Ghana and West Africa, the same word that crowns the Akan-Asante royal title also honours the wisdom of grandparents.
See Nana scored for your familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Nana:
Yes — Nana is a Christian unisex name of Akan origin, meaning “King, queen, grandparent — Nana is the Akan honorific used for kings (Nana Otumfuo), queen mothers (Nana ohemma), chiefs, and respected elders, and it doubles as a personal name. Carried as a unisex name across Ghana and West Africa, the same word that crowns the Akan-Asante royal title also honours the wisdom of grandparents.”. It also appears in Other tradition.
How well does Nana fit your family?
This page tells you what Nana means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's exact birth star.
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Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Nana is a unisex's name of Akan origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "King, queen, grandparent — Nana is the Akan honorific used for kings (Nana Otumfuo), queen mothers (Nana ohemma), chiefs, and respected elders, and it doubles as a personal name. Carried as a unisex name across Ghana and West Africa, the same word that crowns the Akan-Asante royal title also honours the wisdom of grandparents." and belongs to the Nobility cluster — names with regal heritage and dignified bearing.
Beyond its Christian heritage, Nana is also used in Other traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among African, Ghanaian, SubSaharan families, Nana carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
What would a baby named Nana look like?
NameRoot imagines a one-of-a-kind AI baby portrait for every name, shaped by its heritage — the features, the colouring, the feeling a name like Nana carries. No two are alike.
See Nana's portrait — and its full score — the moment you open the app.
See Nana's baby portrait →What does Nana's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Nana resonates in either tradition.
Nana's destiny number is 3 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Nana's full reading →
Does Nana go with your family's names?
Nana breaks into 4 sounds: /N-AA-N-AA/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Nana sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Nana beside your family's names →
Names similar to Nana
If Nana resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian unisex names, common in African families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian unisex names from the Nobility cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian unisex names that open with the same syllables as Nana
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Nana — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Nana
What does the name Nana mean?
Nana means "King, queen, grandparent — Nana is the Akan honorific used for kings (Nana Otumfuo), queen mothers (Nana ohemma), chiefs, and respected elders, and it doubles as a personal name. Carried as a unisex name across Ghana and West Africa, the same word that crowns the Akan-Asante royal title also honours the wisdom of grandparents.." It is a unisex name of Akan origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Nana a boy or girl name?
Nana is a unisex name, used for any gender.
What is the origin of the name Nana?
Nana is of Akan origin, used in Christian, Other traditions, commonly among African, Ghanaian, SubSaharan families.
Is Nana a Christian name?
Yes. Nana is a unisex name traditionally used in Christian families, of Akan origin. It also appears in Other tradition.
What does Nana mean in Akan?
Nana originates from Akan, where it means "King, queen, grandparent — Nana is the Akan honorific used for kings (Nana Otumfuo), queen mothers (Nana ohemma), chiefs, and respected elders, and it doubles as a personal name. Carried as a unisex name across Ghana and West Africa, the same word that crowns the Akan-Asante royal title also honours the wisdom of grandparents.."
What is the numerology of Nana?
Nana has a Pythagorean destiny number of 3 — creativity and joyful expression.
See how Nana scores for your family
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