How popular is the baby name Nan in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Nan.

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Popularity of the baby name Nan


Posts that mention the name Nan

The fall of Nan & Nanny

Nancy was first used during the medieval era as a form of Agnes, but became popular during the 18th century as a form of Anne.

But it was used as a form of Anne only because the other forms of Anne — Nan and Nanny — had fallen into disuse.

Why were the once-common names Nan and Nanny shunned in the late 17th century? Because they, like several other once-common female names (e.g. Jill, Parnel), had become synonyms for “jade.” Nanny was even used in terms like nanny-house and nanny-shop, synonyms for “brothel.”

So babies stopped getting the names Nan and Nanny. But “[r]espectable people, still liking the name, changed it to Nancy, and in that form it still lives.”

Interesting, no?

Makes me wonder if Parnel (a short form of Petronilla) could have been resurrected with a nifty new ending. Parnelcy? Parncy? Hm.

Sources:

  • Bardsley, Charles Wareing Endell. Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature. London: Chatto & Windus, 1897.
  • Green, Jonathon. Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang. 2nd ed. London: Cassell, 2006.

Anagram baby names (3 letters long)

Anagram baby names (3 letters)

Looking for a set of baby names with something in common? If so, here are some 3-letter anagram names for you to check out!

Anagrams are words that contain the same set of letters, but not in the same sequence. For instance, the words “pot,” “opt,” and “top” are all anagrams of one another.

Anagram names can be a neat option for siblings — particularly multiples (like twins and triplets). They’re also a clever way to connect a baby name to the name of an older relative (e.g., grandpa Ole, grandson Leo).

Below are hundreds of three-letter names (collected from the SSA’s huge database of U.S. baby names) that happen to be anagrams of other names.

Three-letter anagram names

  • Ani, Ian, Ina, Nai, Nia
  • Eno, Eon, Neo, Noe, Oen
  • Ame, Ema, Mae, Mea
  • Ami, Iam, Mai, Mia
  • Amy, May, Mya, Yma
  • Ari, Ira, Rai, Ria
  • Ary, Ray, Rya, Yar
  • Azi, Iza, Zai, Zia
  • Ade, Dea, Eda
  • Adi, Dia, Ida
  • Aki, Kai, Kia
  • Ali, Ila, Lia
  • Alo, Loa, Ola
  • Ase, Esa, Sae
  • Ave, Eva, Vea
  • Avi, Iva, Via
  • Ean, Ena, Nea
  • Era, Rae, Rea
  • Eri, Ire, Rei
  • Ero, Reo, Roe
  • Ion, Nio, Oni
  • Isa, Sai, Sia
  • Ita, Tai, Tia
  • Kao, Koa, Oak
  • Nay, Nya, Yan
  • Ori, Rio, Roi
  • Abe, Bea
  • Abi, Bia
  • Aby, Bay
  • Aly, Lya
  • Anh, Han
  • Ann, Nan
  • Anu, Una
  • Aum, Uma
  • Avy, Yva
  • Bao, Oba
  • Cam, Mac
  • Caz, Zac
  • Dev, Ved
  • Dez, Zed
  • Dre, Red
  • Duy, Udy
  • Ela, Lea
  • Emi, Mei
  • Eve, Vee
  • Eze, Zee
  • Gem, Meg
  • Guy, Yug
  • Hal, Lah
  • Ike, Kei
  • Ivo, Ovi
  • Jai, Jia
  • Jak, Kaj
  • Jet, Tej
  • Jio, Joi
  • Kal, Kla
  • Kam, Mak
  • Kay, Kya
  • Kaz, Zak
  • Keo, Koe
  • Koy, Kyo
  • Lam, Mal
  • Lav, Val
  • Len, Nel
  • Leo, Ole
  • Lin, Nil
  • Lio, Oli
  • Lua, Ula
  • Lys, Sly
  • Mio, Omi
  • Miu, Umi
  • Naz, Zan
  • Niv, Vin
  • Noa, Ona
  • Nas, San
  • Ora, Roa
  • Oya, Yao
  • Rey, Rye
  • Roy, Ryo
  • Rui, Uri
  • Rut, Tru
  • Tae, Tea
  • Tao, Toa
  • Zae, Zea
  • Zay, Zya
  • Zeo, Zoe
  • Zio, Zoi
  • Ziv, Zvi

Which pairing/group do you like best? Let me know in the comments!

To see anagram names of other lengths, check out these lists of 4-letter anagram names, 5-letter anagram names, 6-letter anagram names, 7-letter anagram names, and 8-letter anagram names.

[Latest update: April 2023]

Palindrome names: Alula, Hannah, Natan, Viv

duck and reflection

If you’re someone with a deep appreciation of symmetry, this list of palindrome names is for you!

A palindrome is a word or phrase that can be read the same way in either direction, i.e., both forwards and backwards. For instance, the words “civic,” “kayak,” and “wow” are all palindromes.

Here are over 130 names (collected from the SSA’s huge database of U.S. baby names) that happen to be palindromes.

Palindrome names

  • Aba
  • Abba
  • Ada
  • Adda
  • Aenea
  • Afa
  • Afifa
  • Ahsha
  • Aia
  • Aicia
  • Aidia
  • Ailia
  • Aisia
  • Aja
  • Ala
  • Alala
  • Aleela
  • Alela
  • Alila
  • Alla
  • Alula
  • Alyla
  • Ama
  • Amima
  • Amma
  • Ana
  • Anana
  • Anina
  • Anna
  • Anona
  • Ara
  • Arbra
  • Ardra
  • Arora
  • Arra
  • Artra
  • Asa
  • Assa
  • Ata
  • Atta
  • Ava
  • Aviva
  • Avva
  • Awa
  • Axa
  • Aya
  • Aza
  • Azeeza
  • Aziza
  • Azza
  • Bob
  • Divid
  • Ebbe
  • Ebe
  • Ebube
  • Ece
  • Ede
  • Eevee
  • Efe
  • Ege
  • Eillie
  • Eimie
  • Ele
  • Elle
  • Eme
  • Emme
  • Ese
  • Eve
  • Eze
  • Habibah
  • Halah
  • Hallah
  • Hanah
  • Hannah
  • Havah
  • Hawah
  • Hayah
  • Idi
  • Ireri
  • Iri
  • Itati
  • Ivi
  • Izzi
  • Kanak
  • Kerek
  • Kilik
  • Lal
  • Laval
  • Layal
  • Ledel
  • Lemel
  • Lennel
  • Lil
  • Lul
  • Luul
  • Maham
  • Maram
  • Nalan
  • Naman
  • Nan
  • Natan
  • Navan
  • Nayan
  • Neven
  • Nin
  • Nitin
  • Nivin
  • Nixin
  • Nolon
  • Noon
  • Nosson
  • Nylyn
  • Ororo
  • Oso
  • Oto
  • Otto
  • Pip
  • Ramar
  • Reber
  • Reinier
  • Rekker
  • Remer
  • Rener
  • Renner
  • Rever
  • Sabas
  • Sahas
  • Saras
  • Savas
  • Savvas
  • Silis
  • Siris
  • Sylys
  • Talat
  • Umu
  • Viv
  • Yanay

Two of the above, Ava and Hannah, happen to be very popular choices for baby girls at the moment.

Which palindrome name do you like best?

(And, did you know that pairs of names can be palindromes as well?)

Image: Adapted from Male northern pintail at Llano Seco by Frank Schulenburg under CC BY-SA 4.0.

[Latest update: April 2023]