The first name Ana
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “anna”, “hannah”, “grace”.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Ana means “anna”, “hannah”, “grace” in Greek.
From various languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, and Macedonian, all derived—sometimes via Late Latin Anna in the Vulgate—from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna, “Anna”), chiefly in reference to Saint Anne, the apocryphal mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, but appearing in the New Testament in reference to Anna the Prophetess, from Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥannâ, “Hannah”), from חַנָּה (ḥannâ, “grace, gracious, graced with child”). As an Oregonian river, named for Ana Byars, daughter of the surveyor W. H. Byars. Doublet of Ann, Anne, Anna, and Hannah.
More names that mean grace.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 91 girls were named Ana, making it the 439th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 167 births (#298).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ana with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ana at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,276 girls born in the United States were named Ana, the 245th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1991, when 2,652 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Ana
97 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ana de ArmasCuban-Spanish actress and model (born 1988)
- Ana KonjuhCroatian tennis player, born 1997
- Ana OrtizActress, born 1971
- Ana RucnerCroatian cellist, born 1983
- Ana Fidelia QuirotCuban middle distance runner and sprinter, born 1963
- Ana VidovićClassical guitarist, born 1980
- Ana GasteyerAmerican actress and comedian (born 1967)
- Ana MendietaCuban-American artist (1948–1985)
- Ana GirardotFrench actress, born 1988
- Ana Marcela CunhaBrazilian swimmer, born 1992
- Ana ŠimićCroatian high jumper, born 1990
- Ana María ShuaArgentine writer (born 1951)
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ana mean?
- Ana means “anna”, “hannah”, “grace” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Ana?
- From various languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, and Macedonian, all derived—sometimes via Late Latin Anna in the Vulgate—from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna, “Anna”), chiefly in reference to Saint Anne, the apocryphal mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, but…
- How popular is the name Ana?
- In 2025, 91 girls born in England and Wales were named Ana, ranking 439th. Its peak was 2016, with 167 births.
- Is Ana a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 111,960 US babies named Ana since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ana most popular?
- 1991 in the United States, when 2,652 babies were named Ana, its highest rank at 119th.