nana

Nana is a name and a term with multiple origins and meanings. As a given name, it is used for women in several cultures, and it is also commonly used as a nickname for longer names such as Anna or Antonia. In English, Nana is often used as an affectionate term for grandmother.

In West Africa, particularly among the Akan peoples, Nana is a royal title meaning king or chief and is used in names and as a form of address. In Japan, Nana is a popular female given name and appears in various literary and media works. The word has thus developed distinct, culturally specific associations depending on its usage and language.

Nana also denotes several notable literary and media works. Émile Zola's Nana, published in 1880, is a landmark novel that explores Parisian society through the rise and fall of a courtesan, and it has been adapted into multiple films. In contemporary popular culture, Nana is the title of Ai Yazawa's widely read manga series, which ran from 2000 to 2009; it has been adapted into an anime television series and into live-action films, focusing on two women named Nana who navigate friendship and romance in Tokyo.

Because of its cross-cultural reach, the term Nana can refer to a wide range of people, characters, works, or places. Disambiguation is often required to determine which specific reference is intended in a given context.