An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/nennen

by Friedrich Kluge

nennen, verb, ‘to name,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German nęnnen (also nęmmen); originated in namnjan by the assimilation of mn; a verbal noun from Name (Old High German namo). Compare Gothic namnjan from namô, Anglo-Saxon nam an, weak verb, equivalent to English to name (Anglo-Saxon also nęmnan, equivalent to Old Saxon nęmnian). See Name and the remarks there on Dutch noemen, ‘to name.’