When you are addressing your grandmother, in Italian the word is not abbreviated or made into a nickname as it often is in English—grandma or granny or nana. In Italian nonna is nonna, and that suffices.
In actual usage, it probably means whichever grandmother is Italian. But Italians only have one word for grandmother (nonna), so both grandmothers would get called Nana. It's used in the North of England and I know some Irish people who use it too.
Most Common Grandma Nicknames
Nana is the most common nickname for a Grandma in thirty-two states. But if someone doesn't call their grandmother Nana, odds are they do call her Grammy or Gram, as these are relatively popular alternatives to Grandma, as well.
Italy: Nonna is a popular grandmother's name, possibly because it is close to Nana and other familiar grandmother nicknames.
India. “In our Indian culture, 'nani' is maternal grandmother, and 'dadi' is paternal. 'Nana' is maternal grandfather, and 'dada' is paternal,” shares Lisa Batra is a first-generation Indian, with immigrant parents, and two kids of her own.
informal. : the mother of one's father or mother : grandmother.
Etymology. The word nan for grandma is a shortening of the word nana. Both of these words probably are child pronunciations of the word nanny. Etymonline describes this word as originating as a child's word for "female adult other than mother".
It is derived from the Italian word for grandmother, Nonma. And then changed to Nana in English.
“Nonna” from Italian
“Nonna” is the popular name for grandmother in the Italian language.
Ireland (Gaelic)
While maimeó anddaideó are the words used to address a grandmother or grandfather, there are a few different words for grandparents in Irish. For example, there are máthair chríona, which translates to “wise mother,” and athair críonna which translates to “wise father.”
nana. / (ˈnɑːnə) / noun. slang a fool.
The word nana is used in a similar way to meuf which is also used in slang to refer to a woman/ girlfriend, and also has an equivalent referring to a man - Mec. It is argued that the word nana first started being used around the 19th century in the slang language to mean prostitute, or wife of a pimp.
When you are addressing your grandmother, in Italian the word is not abbreviated or made into a nickname as it often is in English—grandma or granny or nana. In Italian nonna is nonna, and that suffices.
In English, you nana is the mother of your father or mother. In other words, it is your grandmother. In Australia, the Macquarie dictionary also uses the spelling nana. However, in British English, the spelling nanna is often used.
Possibly derived from Proto-Celtic *nana (“grandmother”); probably from a Proto-Indo-European root imitative of a child speaking, similar to Ancient Greek νάννα (nánna). See also nanny.
Africa. The African continent also gives us some of the sweetest names for our grandparents. Afrikaans call their grandmothers Ouma and their grandfathers Oupa. Moroccan Arabic uses Jiddah and Jadd respectively.
How to Say “Grandma” or “Grandmother” in Italian. The word for grandmother in Italian is nonna whereas the plural is nonne. IPA: /ˈnɔn.na/
-Italian: The word for grandmother is “Nonna,” but this is often turned into other Italian grandmother names, such as “Nonnina” and “Nonni” (which is also how to say grandparents in the plural). -Japanese: In Japanese, grandmothers are called “Obaasan” or, more commonly, “Sobo.”
Nana is a given name that has different origins in several countries across the world. Its use as a feminine or masculine name varies culturally. It is feminine in Japan, Georgia and Greece, and it is masculine in Ethiopia and India, and epicene (unisex/gender neutral) in Ghana and Indonesia.
In British English, it would generally be spelt as 'Nana' without the double n. But as with the first comment, as a personal 'nickname' it could be spelled either way.
Only one-in-ten use the term Gran. The name Nan is by far the most popular for a grandmother in the English seaside cities of Liverpool (65%) and Brighton (51%). Half of Welsh grandmothers are also referred to affectionately as Nans.
Another popular subset of unique names are those that are derived from the (most often) grandmother's first name. So Gabby McCree is Gigi. “It's an abbreviation for 'Grandma Gabby' and also my initials growing up,” she says.
Turns out, 'Mimi' is actually a common French name for grandma (derived from the word mémé) and used in southern and Midwest states in America including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. It's also used a lot in French Canadia in places like Quebec.