How to say it
AN · na
ˈæn.ə
Feminine
Anna
Favor, grace
What it means
Latin and Greek form of Hebrew Channah (Hannah), 'favor' or 'grace.' One of the most cross-culturally translated names in the Western tradition.
Anna is the Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew Channah (Hannah). The New Testament prophetess Anna recognized the infant Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:36). The name passed into nearly every European language with minimal change: Anna in Russian, Italian, German, Polish, Swedish; Anne in English and French; Ana in Spanish and Portuguese. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) and Anne Frank gave the name two of literature's most-quoted entries. The straight Anna spelling has been in the US top 50 for most of the past century. Annie is the standard short.
How to spell Anna
The standard spelling is Anna. Common variants include Anne, Ana, Hannah, Annie, but Anna is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #2 in 1880, currently #107 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Annie is the universal short and a fully separate identity in many families.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Anna Karenina Title character of Tolstoy's 1878 novel
- Anne Frank German-Jewish diarist of the Holocaust, 1929-1945 (Anne spelling)
- Anna Wintour British-American editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988
Spelling variants
- Anne
- Ana
- Hannah
- Annie
Names with the same feeling
See Anna from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Anna mean?
- Latin and Greek form of Hebrew Channah (Hannah), 'favor' or 'grace.' One of the most cross-culturally translated names in the Western tradition.
- What does Anna mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Anna means "Favor, grace." Anna is the Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew Channah (Hannah). The New Testament prophetess Anna recognized the infant Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:36). The name passed into nearly every European language with minimal change: Anna in Russian, Italian, German, Polish, Swedish; Anne in English and French; Ana in Spanish and Portuguese. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) and Anne Frank gave the name two of literature's most-quoted entries. The straight Anna spelling has been in the US top 50 for most of the past century. Annie is the standard short.
- How do you pronounce Anna?
- Anna is pronounced ˈæn.ə. Say it as AN-na, with the stress on the "an" syllable.
- How do you spell Anna?
- The standard spelling is Anna. Common spelling variants include Anne, Ana, Hannah, Annie.
- Is Anna a boy or girl name?
- Anna is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Anna?
- Anna ranked #107 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.