# Nao (given name)

Nao (なお, ナオ) is a common feminine Japanese given name which is occasionally used by males. It is also a short name for Naoko, Naomi, Naoto, etc.

## Written forms

Nao can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
* 直, "honest"
* 尚, "esteem"
* 巨, "giant"
* 奈緒, "Nara, cord"
* 菜緒, "greens, cord"
* 奈央, "Nara, center"
The name can also be written in hiragana be katakana.

## People

* Nao (ナオ), a drummer from Visual Kei band Alice Nine
* Nao (born 1985), Japanese singer and former lead singer of the band fripSide
* Nao (奈緒, born 1995), Japanese actress
* Nao Asahi (朝日 奈央, born 1994), Japanese tarento
* Nao Deguchi (出口 なお, 1837-1918), founder of Oomoto
* Nao Eguchi (江口 直生, born 1992), Japanese footballer
* Nao Furuhata (古畑 奈和, born 1996), member of the girl group SKE48
* Nao Hibino (日比野 菜緒, born 1994), Japanese pro tennis player
* Nao Higashihama (東浜 巨, born 1993 ), Japanese baseball pitcher
* Nao Horomura (幌村 尚, born 1999), Japanese male swimmer
* Nao Kawakita (川北 奈緒, born 1975), drummer and backup vocalist of Japanese rock band Maximum the Hormone
* Nao Kodaira (小平 奈緒, born 1986), Japanese Olympic long-track speed skater
* Nao Kosaka (小坂 菜緒, born 2002), Japanese idol, model, actress and member of the girl group Hinatazaka46
* Nao Matsushita (松下 奈緒, born 1985), Japanese actress and pianist
* Nao Nagasawa (長澤 奈央, born 1984), Japanese actress, singer and model
* Nao Nagasawa (長澤 奈央, born 1971), Japanese voice actress
* Nao Oikawa (及川 奈央, born 1981), Japanese AV idol and tarento
* Nao Ōmori (大森 南朋, born 1972), Japanese actor
* Nao Saejima (冴島 奈緒, 1968–2013), Japanese AV idol
* Nao Suzuki (鈴木 奈央, born 1997), Japanese cyclist
* Nao Takamori (高森 奈緒, born 1973), Japanese voice idol
* Nao Takasugi (1922–2009), Japanese-American politician
* Nao Tamura (田村 奈央), a Japanese voice actress
* Nao Tōyama (東山 奈央, born 1992), a Japanese pop solo artist and former leader of Buzy (band)
* Nao Ueki (植木 南央, born 1997), member of the girl group HKT48.
* Nao Watanabe (渡邊 奈央), Japanese singer
* Nao Yasuda (安田 奈央, born 1990), former member of Kamen Rider Girls
* Nao Yazawa (谷沢 直), Japanese manga artist

## Characters

* Nao, a character in the manga series Inu Neko Jump!
* Nao Chikura (名央), a character in the manga series Hatsukoi Limited
* Nao Egokoro (菜緒), a character from the visual novel Your Turn to Die
* Nao Kamiya (奈緒), a character in the mobile game and anime The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls
* Nao Kanzaki (ナオ), the main protagonist in the manga and live actions series, Liar Game
* Nao Makinoha (奈緒), a character from the shōnen fantasy manga Midori No Hibi
* Nao Mariota Pryderi, a female character in the MMORPG Mabinogi
* Nao Midorikawa, a character in Smile PreCure!, the 9th season in the Pretty Cure franchise
* Nao Morisaki (七央), a character from the erotic visual novel Soul Link
* Nao Okuda (直), a character in the manga series K-On!
* Nao Tomori (奈緒), a character in the anime series Charlotte
* Nao Yasumori (奈緒), a female character in the anime and manga series Shiki (novel series)
* Nao Yuuki (奈緒), a female character in the anime series My-HiME
* Nao Yoshikawa (菜緒), the main character in the manga and live action series Good Morning Call