Anna

Variation of Hannah, Hebrew

"grace"

Anna Origin and Meaning

The name Anna is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "grace".

Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning “grace.” European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna—known in English as Saint Anne. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations including Annie, Annalise, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also rank in the US Top 1000.

Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, having been firmly in the Top 25 for years and only slipping in the past couple years. Anna offers a touch of the exotic and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann, used for generations throughout Europe, from Russia to Italy, Spain to The Netherlands.

Classic and simple, Anna would be an excellent choice for parents in search of a name that will bridge two different cultures, say Jewish and Italian.

In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The name was given some fresh life when it was used for the adorable younger sister voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Frozen. Three current bearers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel and Anna Paquin.

Anya takes it more into the territory of the exotic and Anja, even further.

• 63 US 2019
• 37 Nameberry 2020
• 82 England 2019
• 12 France 2019
• 25 Scotland 2019
• 19 Ireland 2019
• 15 Netherlands 2020
• 12 Germany 2020
• 100 Sweden 2015
• 94 Spain 2017
• 14 Iceland 2018
• 78 New Zealand 2018
• 83 Australia 2019
• 20 Norway 2019
• 11 Italy 2019
• 396 2028 2028
• 10 Denmark 2019