Fun Facts About the Name Nannie
- A favorite of earlier generations: Nannie appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 3 separate runs, totaling 8 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1889 through 1889.
- More than 25 thousand babies named Nannie: U.S. records list 25,580 babies given the name Nannie from 1880 through 2025. Even 20 boys received the name Nannie - about 1 boy for every 1,278 girls.
What Does the Name Nannie Mean?
Nannie is an English diminutive of Ann or Anne, and its established meaning is "grace" or "favor." The root is the Hebrew name Hannah (חַנָּה), connected with a verb meaning "to be gracious." The Greek form Anna and the Latin Anna carried the name into Christian Europe, where English Ann and Anne developed. Nannie adds the English diminutive ending -ie to Ann; it is a familiar pet form rather than a separate root. The same ending produced the related English form Nanny. The literal Hebrew idea is graciousness or favor, while "grace" is the customary English gloss.
Nannie Name History & Origins
Nannie grew out of the English use of Anne and its shorter form Ann. In medieval and early modern England, Anne was a known name, and speakers formed short, familiar versions such as Nan and Nanny. Nannie, with the -ie spelling, belongs to the same pattern. It was used as a nickname for Ann, Anne, and Anna, and in time it became an independent given name in English-speaking countries.
The parent name has a biblical and Christian background. Hannah, the Hebrew name behind Anne, was the mother of Samuel. The Greek form Anna appears in the New Testament and in early Christian tradition. Devotion to St. Anne, honored as the mother of Mary, helped make Anne and its forms widespread in Europe. English colonists and later migrants carried Ann, Anne, and their diminutives, including Nannie, to North America and other English-speaking regions.
By the late 19th century, Nannie was in use as a given name in the United States; Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879 - 1961), an educator and civil rights leader, is one documented bearer. It is not related to the similar-looking Old Norse name Nanna, which has a separate origin.
How Popular is the Name Nannie?
Nannie recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1920. The name enjoyed early prominence in the late 19th century before its sustained modern rise.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | #12,585 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #13,200 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #12,180 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #9,955 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #7,116 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #5,841 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1977 | #9,243 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #6,413 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #6,919 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #5,632 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1973 | #6,473 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #4,703 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #5,389 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #5,300 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #3,075 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1968 | #3,129 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1967 | #2,840 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1966 | #2,815 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1965 | #3,884 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #2,394 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1963 | #2,237 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1962 | #2,511 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1961 | #2,452 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1960 | #1,877 | 37 | 0.0018% |
| 1959 | #1,812 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 1958 | #1,569 | 47 | 0.0023% |
| 1957 | #1,604 | 46 | 0.0022% |
| 1956 | #1,574 | 46 | 0.0023% |
| 1955 | #1,240 | 67 | 0.0034% |
| 1954 | #1,271 | 61 | 0.0031% |
| 1953 | #1,088 | 79 | 0.0042% |
| 1952 | #1,065 | 79 | 0.0043% |
| 1951 | #1,008 | 86 | 0.0048% |
| 1950 | #941 | 91 | 0.0053% |
| 1949 | #954 | 88 | 0.0051% |
| 1948 | #828 | 112 | 0.0066% |
| 1947 | #777 | 123 | 0.0069% |
| 1946 | #729 | 123 | 0.0078% |
| 1945 | #656 | 126 | 0.0096% |
| 1944 | #594 | 154 | 0.0116% |
| 1943 | #588 | 164 | 0.0118% |
| 1942 | #573 | 166 | 0.0123% |
| 1941 | #518 | 179 | 0.0148% |
| 1940 | #472 | 203 | 0.0178% |
| 1939 | #470 | 202 | 0.0184% |
| 1938 | #468 | 209 | 0.0189% |
| 1937 | #422 | 236 | 0.0222% |
| 1936 | #403 | 253 | 0.0243% |
| 1935 | #391 | 269 | 0.0257% |
| 1934 | #379 | 283 | 0.0271% |
| 1933 | #377 | 290 | 0.0288% |
| 1932 | #363 | 307 | 0.0288% |
| 1931 | #349 | 333 | 0.0313% |
| 1930 | #353 | 358 | 0.0318% |
| 1929 | #334 | 375 | 0.0336% |
| 1928 | #325 | 420 | 0.0364% |
| 1927 | #312 | 459 | 0.0385% |
| 1926 | #296 | 515 | 0.0434% |
| 1925 | #295 | 521 | 0.0428% |
| 1924 | #279 | 561 | 0.0449% |
| 1923 | #275 | 548 | 0.0454% |
| 1922 | #269 | 579 | 0.0482% |
| 1921 | #272 | 610 | 0.0495% |
| 1920 | #258 | 655 | 0.0547% |
| 1919 | #256 | 621 | 0.0550% |
| 1918 | #255 | 631 | 0.0545% |
| 1917 | #254 | 596 | 0.0551% |
| 1916 | #250 | 593 | 0.0568% |
| 1915 | #241 | 607 | 0.0617% |
| 1914 | #247 | 457 | 0.0600% |
| 1913 | #242 | 402 | 0.0644% |
| 1912 | #217 | 427 | 0.0765% |
| 1911 | #215 | 329 | 0.0786% |
| 1910 | #197 | 334 | 0.0842% |
| 1909 | #170 | 355 | 0.1022% |
| 1908 | #183 | 313 | 0.0936% |
| 1907 | #175 | 320 | 0.1005% |
| 1906 | #167 | 323 | 0.1094% |
| 1905 | #172 | 303 | 0.1039% |
| 1904 | #171 | 289 | 0.1050% |
| 1903 | #157 | 325 | 0.1241% |
| 1902 | #148 | 359 | 0.1359% |
| 1901 | #139 | 358 | 0.1496% |
| 1900 | #136 | 446 | 0.1488% |
| 1899 | #142 | 331 | 0.1420% |
| 1898 | #141 | 359 | 0.1387% |
| 1897 | #144 | 333 | 0.1422% |
| 1896 | #119 | 400 | 0.1681% |
| 1895 | #129 | 355 | 0.1520% |
| 1894 | #123 | 374 | 0.1678% |
| 1893 | #112 | 392 | 0.1841% |
| 1892 | #119 | 385 | 0.1813% |
| 1891 | #125 | 315 | 0.1698% |
| 1890 | #112 | 355 | 0.1865% |
| 1889 | #100 | 396 | 0.2220% |
| 1888 | #104 | 373 | 0.2088% |
| 1887 | #95 | 340 | 0.2329% |
| 1886 | #97 | 347 | 0.2401% |
| 1885 | #104 | 285 | 0.2142% |
| 1884 | #97 | 314 | 0.2434% |
| 1883 | #87 | 305 | 0.2715% |
| 1882 | #86 | 299 | 0.2772% |
| 1881 | #88 | 258 | 0.2806% |
| 1880 | #87 | 248 | 0.2725% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | #4,697 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1921 | #4,778 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #4,608 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #4,216 | 5 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.