Alternatives to Anna

Annora

Latin

"honor"

Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora.

Anthea

Greek

"flowery"

This unjustly neglected floral name is smart and crisp, with a touch of Athena, Anna, and Cynthia about it. It also has that stylish Greek mythological heritage: Anthea is an epithet of Hera, the…

Dana

English, Slavic, Persian, Arabic

"from Denmark, gift, or wise"

This name found in both Celtic and Scandinavian mythology has gone from all-boy to almost all-girl, retaining a strong, unisex quality. However, it has dropped following its three-decade heyday from…

Fenna

Dutch and Frisian

"peace"

The vintage Fenna, an old lady name making a comeback in the Netherlands, originates in Friesland in the northern part of the country, where the Fries language is spoken. Rhyming with Jenna, it's…

Hania

Hebrew, Polish

"encampment; grace"

This very unusual name, also related to Hannah, was chosen for his daughter by Vin Diesel.

Ianthe

Greek

"purple flower"

Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the…

Ivana

Feminine variation of Ivan

A rarely used Slavic name until the Czech-born ex-Mrs. Trump took it over the top. Daughter's name Ivanka adds a dollop of charm.

Lianna

Variation of Liana, French

"to climb like a vine"

Subtle botanical choice with cross-cultural appeal. Streamlined Liana is more common.

Oriana

Latin

"dawn; gold"

Oriana is a dashing medieval name, with a meaning similar to Aurora. At this point, though, Oriana is much more unusual than Aurora and makes a unique choice if you're searching for names that mean…

Panna

Hungarian variation of Anna; Hindi

"grace; emerald, leaf"

Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to being a Hungarian variant of Anna (PAWN-naw) and a Hindi gemstone name (PAHN-nah), it is also a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian…

Quintanna

Quintanna is a feminine name with Latin roots, derived from 'quintus' meaning 'fifth.' It appears to be an elaboration of Quinn or Quinta, with the feminine -anna suffix adding elegance and flow.…

Rosanna

Combination of Rose and Anna

Rose lovers today would probably prefer Rosemary, Rosamund, or even Rose itself, all more stylish variations of the name. Some may associate this form of the name with actress Rosanna Arquette and…

Sanna

Swedish, Finnish, Inuktitut

"lily"

If you're ready to move beyond Anna and Hannah, consider this traditional Scandinavian short form of Susanna, historically very popular in its native lands. Sanna is also a modern Inuktitut form of…

Susannah

Hebrew

"lily"

Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible,…