• For the first time, the comprehensive wave propagation analysis of 2D-FG rotating nanobeams with porosity is considered. • General nonlocal theory is used to establish the governing equation which exhibits softening and hardening behaviour. • Reddy's beam theory is applied to model the effects of the higher-order transverse shear strains on the wave propagation. • The effects of material variation, porosity, and the length to thickness ratio on the wave propagation are discussed. This paper studies the wave propagation of two-dimensional functionally graded (2D-FG) porous rotating nano-beams for the first time. The rotating nano-beams are made of two different materials, and the material properties of the nano-beams alter both in the thickness and length directions. The general nonlocal theory (GNT) in conjunction with Reddy's beam model are employed to formulate the size-dependent model. The GNT efficiently models the dispersions of acoustic waves when two independent nonlocal fields are modelled for the longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves. The governing equations of motion for the 2D-FG porous rotating nano-beams are established using Hamilton's principle as a function of the axial force due to centrifugal stiffening and displacement. The analytic solution is applied to obtain the results and solve the governing equations. The effect of the features of different parameters such as functionally graded power indexes, porosity, angular velocity, and material variation on the wave propagation characteristics of the rotating nano-beams are discussed in detail.