The software AI model is already known for its viral image editing power, but few know how one of Google DeepMind’s most popular models ended up with the name Nano Banana. The answer is rooted in the hustle and bustle of nighttime work, personal nicknames, and the team’s willingness to embrace the unexpected.
At the end of July, the team worked hard to prepare the first version of the model for launch, fixing bugs and conducting final tests. The technical name was already defined as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, but one key detail was missing: the public codename for the LMArena platform.
LMArena is a public platform for evaluating AI models through anonymous, peer-to-peer tests based on user votes. While it showcases already released models, it also serves as an important test environment for models in development, where teams gather early performance information and real user feedback. That’s why using a code name is crucial while the model is still being refined.
Nano Banana born at 2:30 in the morning
The discussion of the code name was postponed until the last moment. According to manager Naina Racingani, at 2:30 in the morning a team member sent her a message that the name must be entered urgently. As a spontaneous suggestion, she said: Nano Banana. The reaction was immediate, the name is completely meaningless, but that’s why it’s acceptable.
The inspiration came from her personal nicknames. Her friends call her Naina Banana, while others call her Nano because she is short and loves computers. By combining those two nicknames, Nano Banana was created, which perfectly matched the fact that it was a Flash model.
GoogleNano Banana was introduced to the LMArena platform in early August and quickly went viral. Users were impressed with its image editing capabilities, especially preserving the identity of people and accurately merging multiple photos. When they also noticed the unusual name, reactions on social networks exploded.
The positive reactions were an early signal that the team had a big hit. After its official launch, the model became the best-rated image editing tool in the world. Users have used it to try out new styles, restore photos, make precise edits, create custom apps, and many other applications.
One of the key reasons for success was the global start without restrictions. From the first day, the model was available to everyone, regardless of the country or whether the user is a developer or an end user. Local trends, such as figurines that started from Thailand or the trend of wearing sari in India, further boosted its popularity.
Although the official technical name remained Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, the name Nano Banana became more familiar. The team embraced that identity, painting the model’s launch button yellow, adding a banana emoji to the Gemini app, and even creating a limited run of promotional items. With the arrival of the Gemini 3 Pro Image model, the name was continued: Nano Banana Pro. According to the team, it was decided to accept a dose of frivolity, because this helped make the model accessible and recognizable to a wide audience, explains Google.