Daily AncestorNanny
Nanny is an old nickname for Ann or Anna, found in American records of the 1700s and 1800s.
Nanny, also spelled Nannie, was a pet form of Ann. Charlotte Yonge names Nanny, with Molly, Kitty and Betty, among the short forms English women went by in the late 1600s.
A gravestone or a family Bible may say Nanny while a will or a deed says Ann. Search indexes under both forms so you do not miss her. Because Nanny served for more than one name, see which full name the same woman carries in other records.
As seen in a record1850 census; her 1841 marriage record calls her Ann
Nanny Rushworth, 28, F, N.C.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Nanny." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/nicknames/nanny. Last checked 2026-10-15.