Given name & surname · also Ancient Greek
Ananias
“Yah has been gracious”·“graciously given of Yah”
Ananias is a masculine given name from Ancient Greek, ultimately from Hebrew. It is used in English and Portuguese.
Original GreekΑνανιας
Meaning & origin
What it means
As a biblical name, Ananias is thought to mean “Yah has been gracious” or “graciously given of Yah.”
From biblical name research
Where it comes from
Ananias comes from Ancient Greek, and ultimately from Hebrew.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In English usage, Ananias developed from Ἀνανίας.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Ananias appears in Acts 5:1, Acts 9:10, Deuteronomy 25:2.
- Acts 5:1
- Acts 9:10
- Deuteronomy 25:2
From biblical name research
Ananias through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 961
- 961 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 55 babies
- 2025
- 55
- #2,452 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +34%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 55 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,452 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 33.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 708 as a first name in 2020; 126 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.
Ananias’s family of names
In English usage, Ananias developed from the Ancient Greek form Ἀνανίας. In German usage, Ananias has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form Ananiasz. In English usage, Ananias has a conventional equivalent in the Faroese form Ánanias.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ananias has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
6 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 22
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ananias
- AnaniasBrazilian footballer (1989-2016)
- Ananias ShikongoParalympian athlete from Namibiaborn 1986
- Ananias Leki DagoIvorian photographer (born 1970)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ananias, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ozias
“power of Yah” · “Yah is strong”
>99% boys
Barnabas
“son of consolation” · “the son of the prophet; the son of encouragement”
>99% boys
Eleazar
“God will help”
>99% boys
Elias
“Jehovah is my God” · “yahweh is God”
>99% boys
Asa
“doctor, healer” · “born in the morning”
89% boys · 11% girls
Mordecai
“devotee of the god Marduk” · “a servant of Marduk, a Babylonian god”
>99% boys
Elnathan
“God has given”
>99% boys
Samson
“sun man”
>99% boys