Given name & surname

Ana

“a woman graced with God's favor”·“he (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child)”

In Portuguese use, Ana has a related form in Anna. One Latin interpretation is “a woman graced with God's favor.” Ana is a form of Anne. One Hebrew interpretation is “he (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child).”

Meaning & origin

What it means

In Portuguese use, Ana has a related form in Anna. One Latin interpretation is “a woman graced with God's favor.” Ana is a form of Anne. One Hebrew interpretation is “he (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child).”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

Ana is a form of Anne. An origin associated with Anne is Hebrew.

Explained through its name family

How it developed

In Spanish use, Ana is used as a form of Anne.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Ana through the years

Babies since 1880
111,960
601 boys · 111,359 girls
Most popular year
1991
2,672 babies
2025
1,276
#245 for girls
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−3%
Steady
05001,0001,50018801900192019401960198020002025Highest share 2003794
Ana in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inArizona, Texas, Alabama
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Arizona (77), Texas (298), Alabama (26), Florida (117), California (184).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 1,276 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 245 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 2.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,652 in 1991. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (298). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 321,854 as a first name in 2020; 376 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Ana’s family of names

Ana has an affectionate form in Anita. Ana shares a linguistic root with Anna. In Spanish usage, Ana has a conventional equivalent in the English form Hannah.

Walk Ana’s family in the name graph

AnaAnahАнаანაอานาAnnaJanaAnitaNanaAnabelAnabelaAnkaHannahAmyLanaHannaAnneAnnetteAnyaHanaAniaAnnyAniAnjaAnetteAnetaAhnaAinaOnaAnnettGannaAneaAnnoАннаΆνναÁna

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Ana has relatives in 37 languages.

HawaiianPortugueseEnglishFrenchGermanSwedishJapaneseCebuano

32 related names in 37 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Similar names

If you love Ana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Latin · Nickname-names

Amanda

“one who is much loved”

60FamiliarEasing

>99% girls

Greek · Literary

Alexandra

“helper and defender of mankind”

68FamiliarCooling

>99% girls

 

Kayla

Kayla is a feminine given name.

63FamiliarCooling

>99% girls

Hebrew · Nature

Ilana

“tree”

36RareSteady

>99% girls

Latin · Nature

Marina

“woman of the sea”

57FamiliarRising

>99% girls

Hebrew

Shayna

“beautiful” · “a beautiful woman”

36RareEasing

>99% girls

Modern

Arielle

“a lioness of God” · “a lion of God”

60FamiliarEasing

>99% girls

English · Place names

Ashley

“ash” · “wood”

72CommonEasing

1% boys · 99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Ana’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Ana