Explore the Family Name Nana

The meaning of Nana

1. West African (Ghana): from nana, a Twi (or a related dialect of the Akan language) gender-neutral title, literally ‘grandparent, elder, ancestor’, representing a social or official position of honor. 2. African (Cameroon and Nigeria): unexplained. 3. Indian (Maharashtra): term of respect often affixed to a personal name. 4. Italian (Lombardy): cognate of Nan.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Nana in the United States?

The surname "Nana" has grown in popularity from the year 2000 to 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it ranked as the 67,317th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had risen notably to rank 49,177th. This represents an approximate increase of nearly 27% over a decade. The count of people with this surname also rose during the same period. In 2000, there were 274 individuals named Nana, which increased by 56.2% to 428 in 2010, thus increasing the proportion per 100,000 people from 0.1 to 0.15.

20002010Change
Rank#67,317#49,17726.95%
Count27442856.2%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1550%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nana

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows varying shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of people with the surname Nana identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a small increase of 3.3%, going from 32.12% to 33.18%. There was a significant rise of 65.32% for those identifying as Black, jumping from 24.45% to 40.42%. On the other hand, people identifying as White or Hispanic saw a decrease in their percentages. The proportion of Whites dropped by 34.71%, decreasing from 18.61% to 12.15%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Hispanics fell by 31.44%, reducing from 15.33% to 10.51%. No changes were recorded for those identifying as two or more races or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Black24.45%40.42%65.32%
Asian/Pacific Islander32.12%33.18%3.3%
White18.61%12.15%-34.71%
Hispanic15.33%10.51%-31.44%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%