Given name & surname
Anne
“he (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child)”
Anne is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “he (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child).”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “he (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child).”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Anne is a short form of Anna. In German usage, Anne developed from the Latin form Anna.
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
Anne through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 325,954
- 826 boys · 325,128 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 5,755 babies
- 2025
- 472
- #619 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 472 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 619 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,745 in 1959. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (34). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 221,693 as a first name in 2020; 1,016 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.
Anne’s family of names
In English usage, Anne is a short form of Anna. In English usage, Anne shares an earlier linguistic root with Ana. Anne has an alternative spelling in Ann.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Anne has relatives in 43 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
44 related names in 43 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 25
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Annavariant · French, German
- Anniediminutive · French, English
- Andersfull form · Swedish
- Annvariant · Norwegian, Danish
- Annettediminutive · English, French
- Antonfull form · Swedish
- Annydiminutive · English
- Anjavariant · German
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Annahvariant · French
- Arnefull form · Swedish
- Anoukdiminutive · Dutch
- Ninondiminutive · French
- Annekediminutive · Dutch
- Annickdiminutive · French
- Nannydiminutive · English
- Anevariant · Norwegian, Danish
- Antjepet form
- Ankepet form
- Andelvariant · German
- Annnelikely variant
- Анетаdiminutive · Bulgarian
- Ännchendiminutive · German
- Ännevariant · German
- Aennevariant · German
- Anneriekevariant · German
Across languages 27
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Hannahdoublet · English
- Anadoublet · Spanish, English
- HanaCzech
- OnaLithuanian
- Annettaequivalent
- Hanneequivalent
- Anneaequivalent
- Annelaequivalent
Show 19 moreShow fewer
See also 14
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Anne
- Anne FrankGerman-born Dutch Jewish diarist and Holocaust victim (1929–1945)
- Anne HathawayAmerican actress (born 1982)
- Nancy ReaganFirst Lady of the United States from 1981 to 19891921–2016
- Anne BrontëBritish novelist and poet (1820-1849)
- Anne Boleynsecond wife of Henry VIII of England (died 1536)1501–1536
- Anne, Queen of Great BritainQueen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1702 to 1714 (1665–1714)
- Germaine de StaëlGenevan-French author (1766-1817)
- Anne BancroftAmerican actress (1931–2005)
- Anne, Princess Royaldaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghborn 1950
Characters named Anne: Anne Shirley (fictional girl and woman, protagonist of the eponymous series, introduced 1908), Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia), Anne Elliot (Jane Austen novel Persuasion).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Anne, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Yelizavetam
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
सारा
“lady, princess”
>99% girls
Dawkin
“a spirited man” · “Beloved”
—
Sarah
“princess”
>99% girls
Dinah
“(female) judge” · “judgment”
>99% girls
Martha
“lady”
>99% girls
Dewi
“a highly valued man”
>99% girls
Davie
“Beloved” · “darling”
17% boys · 83% girls