Google's Nano Banana model has gained fame for its powerful image editing capabilities. However, the origin of its unusual name is surprisingly simple and unexpected.
The Last-Minute Codename Decision
The model was scheduled for launch in late July. Its technical name had already been set as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. But the team still needed a public codename to submit it on LMArena.
LMArena serves as a public testing platform for AI models. Users provide prompts and compare results from two anonymous models, then vote for the better one. Since many models undergo testing here, teams typically use temporary names.
The decision about the codename came extremely late. Product Manager Naina Raisinghani explained this timing in a Google blog post. "We pushed the codename conversation until the last minute," she said.
The 2:30 A.M. Inspiration
"At 2:30 a.m., one of the PMs messaged me saying we needed to submit it," Naina recalled. "I said, 'OK, how about something funny like 'Nano Banana'?' They responded, 'Yeah, sure. That's completely nonsensical.'"
The name actually came from Naina's personal nicknames. "Some of my friends call me Naina Banana, and others call me Nano because I'm short and I like computers," she shared. "So I just smushed my two nicknames together. And it fit because it was a Flash model."
Public Launch and Immediate Success
The model went live on LMArena in early August. Users quickly noticed its impressive image editing abilities. The unusual name also captured people's attention.
"People responded really well," Naina said. "They were so impressed with it, and then they found the name funny. That kind of grew discourse."
When Google officially launched the model, Nano Banana became the world's top-rated image editing AI. Naina attributed part of this success to broad availability. "The model was available everywhere from day one," she explained. "It didn't matter what country you were in, or whether you were a developer or a consumer. You had it on the same day."
Cultural Trends and Viral Prompts
Culturally relevant prompts helped the model gain popularity across different regions. "The popular figurine trend started in Thailand," Naina noted. "The saree trend emerged in India. These viral prompts appeared everywhere."
Embracing the Quirky Identity
Although the technical name remains Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, the Nano Banana name has stuck. With the launch of Gemini 3 Pro Image, the model is now called Nano Banana Pro.
"We leaned into the silliness of it all," Naina admitted. "We've embraced the banana emoji as one of us. The team is split on the banana puns. But we're glad people find the model appealing."
The story shows how an offhand suggestion during a late-night conversation transformed into the public identity of a leading AI tool. What began as a playful combination of personal nicknames now represents cutting-edge image editing technology available worldwide.
