Given name & surname
Anna
“a woman graced with God's favor”
Anna is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “a woman graced with God's favor.”
Original GreekΑννα
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “a woman graced with God's favor.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
Anna is used as a variant 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
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Anna appears in Luke 2:36.
From biblical name research
Anna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 917,615
- 2,756 boys · 914,859 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 15,697 babies
- 2025
- 2,521
- #107 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −32%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,521 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 107 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 32.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 15,666 in 1918. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (235). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 512,954 as a first name in 2020; 1,311 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.
Anna’s family of names
In English usage, Anna has a short form in Ann. Anna shares a linguistic root with Ana. In Catalan usage, Anna has a conventional equivalent in the English form Hannah.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Anna has relatives in 48 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
92 related names in 48 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 130
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Annievariant · German
- Anavariant · Portuguese, Spanish
- Ninashort form · English
- Anyavariant
- Aniyahvariant
- Hannavariant · Polish
- Annevariant · West Frisian, Norwegian
- Anaisvariant
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Annikadiminutive · Swedish, German
- Anikavariant
- Annvariant · Welsh, Norwegian
- Aniyavariant
- Anitavariant · Welsh, Swedish
- Annettevariant · French
- Anoravariant
- Aniavariant · Welsh, Polish
- Annyvariant
- Asyapet form
- Georgiannavariant · English
- Annoravariant
- Anjavariant · German, Swedish
- Anessavariant
- Annamariavariant · German
- Annidiminutive · German, Finnish
- Annelivariant · Swedish, French
- Anaisevariant
- Annahvariant
- Aninavariant · Slovak
- Anupet form · Finnish, Estonian
- Anyssavariant
- Annakavariant
- Anikovariant
- Anicavariant · Polish, Slovak
- Annickdiminutive · French
- Ansadiminutive · Finnish
- Annikkadiminutive · Finnish
- Anninadiminutive · Italian
- Ankaclipped form · Polish, Czech
- Antjediminutive · German
- Ankediminutive · Low German, German
- Andadiminutive · Czech
- Annaliesavariant · German
- Annarosavariant · German
- Aynvariant
- Annissavariant
- Annasvariant
- Annekevariant
- Annorahvariant
- Anitravariant
- Anitiavariant
- Anikivariant
- Anicevariant
- Anettavariant
- Anetavariant
- Aneishavariant
- Ancevariant
- Anaysvariant
- Anevariant · Swedish
- Andelvariant · German
- Annnalikely variant
And 70 more.
Spellings & scripts 8
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 36
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Hannahdoublet · English, German
- Hanaalso known as · Czech, Upper Sorbian
- Annabellaequivalent
- Vaniarelated form
- Anabelequivalent
- Anisharelated form
- Ahnaequivalent
- AinaCatalan
Show 28 moreShow fewer
- OnaLithuanian
- Innaequivalent
- Ennaequivalent
- Anetteequivalent
- Annettaequivalent
- Nanetterelated form
- Annitaequivalent
- Annettequivalent
- Gannaequivalent
- Anneaequivalent
- Αννίταequivalent
- ʻAnaequivalent
- אנהequivalent
- Nüsiaequivalent
- Onneeequivalent
- AnnaszPolish
- Анаderivative · rsk, Bulgarian
- 安娜borrowing · Chinese
- ΆνναGreek
- AnaïsFrench, Occitan
- Ανναμπέλλαequivalent
- Anníaequivalent
- AnnoEsperanto
- Ἄνναroot · Ancient Greek
- ГаннаUkrainian
- ÁineIrish
- חַנָהHebrew
- ანაGeorgian
See also 28
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Johnshares a root
- Joannashares a root
- Annabelsee also
- Hananshares a root
- Ananiasshares a root
- Christianasee also
- Hananiahshares a root
- Hannielshares a root
Show 20 moreShow fewer
- Hananishares a root
- Jonanshares a root
- Johananshares a root
- Hannibalshares a root
- Elhananshares a root
- Tahanshares a root
- Jannaishares a root
- Ahnealso known as · Swedish
- Tehinnahshares a root
- Joananshares a root
- Jehohananshares a root
- Jannesshares a root
- Henshares a root
- Hanunshares a root
- Hananelshares a root
- Baal-hananshares a root
- Ančaalso known as · Czech, Slovak
- Ančealso known as · Czech
- Aňaalso known as · Czech
- Anuľaalso known as · Slovak
People named Anna
- Anna NetrebkoRussian and Austrian operatic sopranoborn 1971
- Eleanor RooseveltAmerican diplomat and activist, First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 (1884–1962)
- Anna AkhmatovaRussian poet (1889–1966)
- Anna PolitkovskayaRussian journalist (1958–2006)
- Anna Rita Del PianoItalian actress and theater directorborn 1966
- Anna KournikovaRussian tennis player and modelborn 1981
- Anna PavlovaRussian ballet dancer (1881–1931)1882–1931
- Anna Maria JopekPolish musician and singerborn 1970
- Anna of Russiafourth Emperor of Russia from 1730 to 1740 (1693-1740)
Characters named Anna: Anna (Disney's Frozen franchise), Anna Williams (Tekken), Anna Watson (Marvel Comics), Anna Kyoyama (Shaman King).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
- Christian names in Scandinavian use
- Scandinavian and Finnish names
- Combining parents' names: examples
- Revived nineteenth-century names
- Most Popular Names of the 1910s
- Most Popular Names of the 1900s
- Most Popular Names of the 1890s
- Top Twins Names of 2006
- A Names
- Poets
- Geniuses
- Most Popular Names of 2006
- Composers
- Popular Names in Poland
- Popular Names in the Netherlands
- Sculptors
- Future Pop Stars
- Editors
- Popular Names in Iceland
- Popular Names in the Czech Republic
- Popular Names in Hungary
- Popular Names in Germany
- Popular Names in Austria
Similar names
If you love Anna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Vivian
“white lady” · “one who is full of life; vibrant”
>99% girls
Mary
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Verna
“woman from Verona” · “from the alder-tree grove”
>99% girls
Clara
Clara has Latin roots and a meaning associated with fame and brightness, with use across several European languages.
>99% girls
Una
“one who is pure; chaste”
>99% girls
Viola
“resembling the purplishblue flower”
>99% girls
Alta
“to be elevated”
>99% girls
Alva
“one who has a fair complexion” · “a bright man”
24% boys · 76% girls