Girl name · Hebrew
Anna
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: favor, graceAnna is a girl's name that comes from Hebrew and means "favor, grace". It is used in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Scandinavian and more.
- Meaning
- Favor, grace
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #107 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Anna
As a girl's name, Anna comes from Hebrew and means "favor, grace". It is used in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek, Russian and Polish.
In French, say ah-NAH. In Italian, say AHN-nah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Anna on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Anna on 4 lists.
“Favor, grace; Hebrew. Prophetess who greeted the infant Jesus, Luke 2”
From Biblical names, female biblical names
“Favor, grace; Hebrew. Say ah-NAH”
From French girl names, popular French girl names right now
“Favor, grace; Hebrew. Say AHN-nah”
From Italian girl names, popular Italian girls' names right now
“Grace, favor; Hebrew, via Hannah. Diminutive Anya. Say AHN-nah”
From Russian girl names, classic Russian girls' names
How popular is Anna?
- US rank in 2025
- #107
- 2,521 babies, 1,569 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2 in 1880
- Most babies: 15,666 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 914,859
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 29,069 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 24,875 per million |
| 1900s | 18,759 per million |
| 1910s | 14,590 per million |
| 1920s | 10,365 per million |
| 1930s | 6,246 per million |
| 1940s | 2,850 per million |
| 1950s | 2,168 per million |
| 1960s | 2,241 per million |
| 1970s | 2,447 per million |
| 1980s | 3,338 per million |
| 1990s | 4,365 per million |
| 2000s | 4,889 per million |
| 2010s | 2,933 per million |
| 2020s | 1,822 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #49 | #53 | #54 | #63 | #68 | #85 | #83 | #79 | #94 | #107 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Anna
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Annicktraditional short form (French)
- Anyatraditional short form (Russian)
Other forms of Anna
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AinaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaïsFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnitaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnjaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnkeFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnnagFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnnaïgFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnnetteFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnniFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
Names spelled like Anna
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AnyaShort form of Anna, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AlmaSoul, nourishing (Latin, girl)
- AlbaThe dawn (Latin, girl)
- AminaSafe, secure; also trustworthy, faithful (Arabic, girl)
- AnnieFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AnnikaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- GraceGrace, divine favor (Latin, girl)
- HannaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AmaraGrace (Igbo, girl)
- AnoukFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AntjeFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- RosannaRose and grace (Latin, girl)
- AbolfazlFather of grace, generosity (Arabic, boy)
- AltagraciaHigh grace (Spanish, girl)
- AmarachiGod's grace (Igbo, girl)
Middle names for Anna
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Hebrew
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JudithWoman of judea (Hebrew, girl)
Anna: common questions
What does the name Anna mean?
Anna comes from Hebrew and means "favor, grace". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Anna a boy or girl name?
Anna is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Anna?
Common nicknames for Anna include Annick and Anya.
How popular is the name Anna?
Anna ranked #107 in the US in 2025, with 2,521 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Anna?
Forms of Anna with the same meaning and origin include Aina (Spanish), Ana (Spanish), Anaïs (French), Ane (Spanish) and Anita (Italian).
What middle names go with Anna?
Middle names that flow well with Anna include Cosima, Eliza, Elowen, Honor and Marguerite. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.