Who or what does a pronoun mean?

A pronoun is a word that can stand for a person, group or thing. What it stands for is called its referent. The surrounding words, or context, help connect the pronoun to that referent.

This example states that Nia uses she. In “Nia picked up a book. She opened it,” She refers to Nia and it refers to the book. The second sentence continues talking about the person and object already introduced instead of repeating both names.

Context matters more than a rule about the nearest name. When two people could both be meant by she, the wording may leave the referent unclear. Using the intended person’s name can make it clear. They can refer to a named group, and in other contexts they can also refer to one person. A picture or name alone does not establish someone’s pronouns.