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Name Lineage

    The first name Anna

    A girl’s name from Latin meaning “hannah”, “grace”, “gracious”.

    Pronounced /ˈænə/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Latin origin

    Anna means “hannah”, “grace”, “gracious” in Latin.

    From Late Latin Anna both directly and via numerous other languages, chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anne the Prophetess, from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna) in the New Testament, from Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥannâ, “Hannah”), from חַנָּה (ḥannâ, “grace, gracious, graced with child”). As a city in Illinois, named for Anna Davie, wife of one of the initial settlers. Doublet of Ann, Anne, Ana, 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, 347 girls were named Anna, making it the 142nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2000, with 1,612 births (#31).

    01,0002,000 1996200020052010201520202025
    28,146
    babies named Anna, 1996–2025
    #142
    rank in 2025
    2000
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Anna with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Anna at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 2,521 girls born in the United States were named Anna, the 107th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 15,666 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    917,615
    babies named Anna since 1880
    #107
    rank in 2025
    1918
    peak year

    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Anna

    541 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Anna I of Russia
      Fourth Emperor of Russia from 1730 to 1740 (1693-1740)
    • Anna Kendrick
      American actress (born 1985)
    • Anna Faris
      American actress, born 1976
    • Anna Nicole Smith
      American actress and television personality (1967–2007)
    • Anna Komnene
      Byzantine princess and historian, 1083–1153
    • Anna Freud
      Austrian-British psychoanalyst (1895–1982)
    • Anna Wintour
      English magazine editor, born 1949
    • Anna Karina
      Danish-French actress (1940–2019)
    • Anna Torv
      Australian actress (born 1979)
    • Anna Popplewell
      English actress, born 1988
    • Anna Sewell
      English novelist, 1820–1878
    • Anna Gavalda
      French author, born 1970

    More Latin girls’ names

    All 381 names of Latin origin

    Questions

    What does the name Anna mean?
    Anna means “hannah”, “grace”, “gracious” in Latin.
    What is the origin of the name Anna?
    From Late Latin Anna both directly and via numerous other languages, chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anne the Prophetess, from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna) in the New Testament, from Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥannâ,…
    How popular is the name Anna?
    In 2025, 347 girls born in England and Wales were named Anna, ranking 142nd. Its peak was 2000, with 1,612 births.
    Is Anna a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 917,615 US babies named Anna since 1880 were girls.
    When was Anna most popular?
    1918 in the United States, when 15,666 babies were named Anna, its highest rank at 10th.
    How do you pronounce Anna?
    Anna is /ˈænə/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Anna?
    Annika.
    Is Anna also a surname?
    Yes. Anna is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.