English word origin

Etymology of nan

From Nan, pet form of the formerly very common female given names Anne and Agnes. As a nursemaid and grandmother, a clipping of earlier nana, from nanny under the probable influence of mama, also from Nan. Compare Mary.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Synonym of maid: a servant girl. · Synonym of nancy: an effeminate male homosexual. · Synonym of nursemaid. · Synonym of grandmother.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "Nan",
      "Nan#English"
    ],
    [
      "Anne",
      "Anne#English"
    ],
    [
      "Agnes",
      "Agnes#English"
    ],
    [
      "nana",
      "nana#English"
    ],
    [
      "nanny",
      "nanny#English"
    ],
    [
      "mama",
      "mama#English"
    ],
    [
      "Nan",
      "Nan#English"
    ],
    [
      "Mary",
      "Mary#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of maid: a servant girl.",
        "Synonym of nancy: an effeminate male homosexual.",
        "Synonym of nursemaid.",
        "Synonym of grandmother."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "slang",
        "UK",
        "endearing",
        "Australia",
        "Canada",
        "Ireland",
        "New-Zealand"
      ],
      "recordId": "9be6159388cc58aa607fa12e8650b9cf6dbcb3e22dd432513517a06a7c3b067d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bbe8dd7ceb8f546d94b07ac32261d1d80f0e8b83c710eef7e49f718aca0a202a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 231865
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative spelling of naan.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See at naan.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "naan",
      "naan#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of naan."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "90271b12ae3f558b02d3fda4d9ac1f367e8975531c41bd0a09f36ad6707dbc29",
      "rawRecordSha256": "7ef807f6fd84bc2d99f86ad9f3a4847ef054731f43685ae5730d4c2649308abe",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 231866
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for nan →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bmFu