Anna

Variation of Hannah, Hebrew
"grace"

Anna Origin and Meaning

The name Anna is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "grace".

Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, offering a touch of the international to English speakers and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann or Anne.

Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning "grace." European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna — known in English as Saint Anne.

Anna has been used for generations throughout Europe, from Russia to Italy, Spain to The Netherlands. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations including Annie, Annalise, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also rank in the US Top 1000.

Classic and simple, Anna would be an excellent choice for parents in search of a name that will bridge two different cultures, say Jewish and Italian.

In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The name was given some fresh life when it was used for the adorable younger sister voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Frozen. Three current bearers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel, and Anna Paquin.

Anya takes it more into international territory, and Anja, even further. Read more about Anna and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

# 79 in the US

Anna Rank in US Top 1000

# 120 on Nameberry

Anna Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Anna Popularity

Famous People Named Anna

  • Anna
    Biblical prophetess
  • Anna Ioannovna
    Empress of Russia
  • Anna Jagiellon
    Queen of Poland
  • Anna of Cilli
    Queen consort of Jogaila of Poland
  • Anna of Austria
    Queen consort of Philip II of Spain
  • Anna of Tyrol
    Holy Roman Empress consort of Matthias
  • Anna Pavlovna of Russia
    Queen consort of William II of the Netherlands
  • Maria Anna (Josepha) of Austria
    Queen consort of John V of Portugal
  • Maria Anna (Ricciarda Carolina Margherita Pia) of Savoy
    Empress consort of Ferdinand I of Austria
  • Maria Anna of Neuburg
    Queen consort of Charles II of Spain
  • Anna Megale Komnene of Trebizond
    Queen consort of Bagrat V of Georgia
  • Anna of Schweidnitz
    Holy Roman Empress consort of Charles IV
  • Anna
    Grand Duchess of Lithuania
  • Anna Saccone
    Irish,born British vlogger
  • Anna Yuryevna Netrebko
    Russian opera singer
  • Anna Wintour
    English editor,in,chief of American Vogue magazine
  • Anna Nicole Smith (born Vickie Lynn Hogan)
    American model and actress
  • Anna Trebunskaya
    Russian,American ballroom dancer
  • Anna Helene Paquin
    New Zealand actress
  • Anna Maria Perez de Tagle
    American actress/singer
  • Anna Journey
    American poet
  • Anna Robinson Gilligan
    American TV journalist
  • Anna Mae Bullock
    birth name of American singer Tina Turner
  • Anna Kendrick
    American actress
  • Anna Graceman
    American singer,songwriter
  • Anna Lee (born Joan Boniface Winnifrith)
    English actress
  • Anna Louise Friel
    English actress
  • Anna Katherine Popplewell
    English actress
  • Anna
    Louise Knight, English actress
  • Anna May Wong (born Wong Liu Tsong)
    American actress
  • AnnaSophia Robb
    American actress
  • Anna Magnani
    Italian actress
  • Anna Anderson (born Franziska Schanzkowska)
    Polish imposter of Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia
  • Anna Christine Nalick
    American singer,songwriter
  • Anna Kay Faris
    American actress (pronounced Ah,na)
  • Danuta "Anna" Anka
    Swedish,American model
  • Anna of Austria
    Duchess consort of Albert V of Bavaria
  • Anna Charmichael Torv
    Australian actress
  • Anna Ortiz
    American actress and singer
  • Anna McPartlin
    Irish novelist
  • Anna Chlumsky
    American actress
  • Anna Politkovskaya
    Russian journalist
  • Anna Silk
    Canadian actress
  • Anna Ragsdale Camp
    American actress
  • Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova
    Russian,American tennis player
  • Anna Julia Haywood Cooper
    American scholar and author
  • Anna Jantar (born Anna Maria Szmeterling)
    Polish singer
  • Anna R. Slotky
    American actress
  • Anna Loginova
    Russian model and bodyguard
  • Anna Vladimirovna Litvinova
    Russian model
  • Anna Warren Benson
    American model, ex,wife of baseball player Kris Benson
  • Anna Michaela Ebba Electra Von Hausswolff
    Swedish singer,songwriter
  • Anna Vissi
    Cypriot music artist
  • Anna Gunn
    American actress
  • Jiordan Anna Tolli
    Australian actress and singer
  • Anna Sewell
    English children's novelist
  • Anna Passey
    English actress
  • Anna Laetitia Barbauld
    English poet and author
  • Anna Hedh
    Swedish MEP
  • Anna Selezneva
    Russian model
  • Anna Politkovskaya
    Russian journalist
  • Anna Stanislavovna Shcherbakova
    Russian figure skater
  • Anna Wise
    American R&B singer
  • Anna Renee (Keller) Duggar
    American reality TV personality; wife of Josh Duggar of "19 Kids and Counting"
  • Anna Korakaki
    Greek sport shooter
  • Anna van der Breggen
    Dutch cyclist
  • Anna Cappellini
    Italian ice dancer
  • Anna Quindlen
    American author, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Anna Rawson
    Australian golfer and model
  • Anna Todd
    American author
  • Anna Cathcart
    Canadian actress
  • Anna Dale
    YouTuber from The Dale Tribe family vloggers
  • Anna
    Marie Ondaatje, Sri Lankan rhythmic gymnast
  • Anna Marie Goddard
    American model
  • Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer)
    Danish actress

Anna in Pop Culture

  • "Anna Karenina
    " novel by Leo Tolstoy and its main character
  • Anna
    Princess of Arendelle, character in Disney's "Frozen"
  • Anna May (Smith) Bates
    character on "Downton Abbey"
  • Anna Cornick
    Main Character in Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
  • Anastasia "Anna" Kolcheck
    character on TV's NCIS: Los Angeles
  • Anna
    a character in the Fire Emblem series
  • Anna Watson
    character in " The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
  • Anna Oliphant
    character in "Anna & the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins
  • Annabel "Anna" Coleman
    character in movie "Freaky Friday"
  • Anna
    character in John Green's "The Fault In Our Stars"
  • Anna Bloom
    character in "Get Well Soon" by Julie Halpern
  • Anna Emerson
    character in "On the Island" by Tracey Garvis,Graves
  • Andromeda "Anna" Fitzgerald
    character in Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper"
  • Anna Voralberg
    character in the video game series "Syberia"
  • Anna
    title character in the video game "Anna"
  • Anna Harrison
    character in the film “Stepmom"
  • Anna Lightwood
    character in Cassandra Clare’s “The Last Hours” series
  • Anna Whitt
    character in "Sweet Evil" by Wendy Higgins
  • Anna McDoogles
    character in movie "The Invention of Lying"
  • Anna Kushina
    Character in Anime K Project
  • Annabelle "Anna" Zhu
    character in "The Vampire Diaries" series
  • Anna Covey
    character in the "Declaration" series by Gemma Malley
  • Anna Krasinska Kepler
    character in "Night Trains" by Barbara Wood
  • Anna Johnson
    character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
  • Anna Worthington
    character in the TV series "Codename: Kids Next Door"
  • Anna Marie D'Ancanto aka Rogue
    character in X,Men
  • Anna/Ana/Annie Taylor
    character in the TV series "extr@"
  • "Anna (Go to Him)
    " song by The Beatles
  • "Anna
    " song by Taken by Trees
  • "Anna Begins
    " song by Counting Crows
  • "Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)
    " song by The Bangles
  • "Anna Molly
    " song by Incubus
  • "Anna Sun
    " song by Walk the Moon
  • "Anna"
    song by Hello Saferide
  • "Requiem for Anna
    " song by Serge Gainsbourg (later covered by Portishead)
  • "Anna
    " song by Oliver
  • Anna
    character in the manga/anime series "The Promised Neverland"

Anna in Nameberry Blog Posts