nan
n. countablen. a casual and warm name for your grandmother. It is very common in British English and often used when speaking directly to her.
n. an informal term of address or reference for a grandmother. Common in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; often used as a hypocorism within the family unit.
I am going to visit my nan this weekend.
After she retired, my nan spent most of her afternoons gardening and teaching us how to bake traditional pies.
From Thai น่าน (nâan).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Usage
Often capitalized when used as a proper name for a specific person ('Hi, Nan').
Last updated May 6, 2026