Anna (given name)
Anna is a Latin form of the Greek: Ἄννα and the Hebrew name Hannah (Hebrew: חַנָּה Ḥannāh), meaning "favor" or "grace" or "beautiful". Anna is in wide use in countries across the world as are its variants Anne, originally a French version of the name, though in use in English speaking countries for hundreds of years, and Ann, which was originally the English spelling. Saint Anne is traditionally the name of the mother of the Virgin Mary, which accounts for its wide use and popularity among Christians. The name has also been used for numerous saints and queens..
Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, depicted instructing her daughter in this painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The popularity of the name Anne is largely due to this saint. | |
Pronunciation | /ˈænə/ |
---|---|
Gender | Female |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Hebrew, Greek, Latin |
Meaning | full of grace, Favor |
Other names | |
See also | Ana, Anne, Annie, Hanna, John |
In the context of pre-Christian Europe, the name can be found in Virgil's Aeneid,[1] where Anna appears as the sister of Dido advising her to keep Aeneas in her city.
Variant forms
Alternate forms of Anna, including spelling variants, short forms, diminutives and transliterations are:
- Aina – Catalan, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian
- Ana – Bulgarian, Croatian, English, Galician, Georgian, Hawaiian, Macedonian, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovene, Spanish, Albanian
- حنا – Arabic
- ანა – Georgian
- Anaïs – Catalan, French, Provençal
- Anano – Georgian
- Anča – Slovak, Romanian
- Ance – Latvian
- Anci – Hungarian
- Ancsa – Hungarian
- Ane – Basque, Danish, Hawaiian
- Anechka – Russian
- Anelie – German
- Anella – Estonian
- Anelle – Estonian
- Anna – Catalan, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian
- Anete – Estonian, Latvian
- Anett – Estonian
- Anette – Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
- Ania – Ukrainian, Polish, Russian
- Anica – Croatian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovene, Spanish
- Anice – Scots
- Anicuta – Portuguese, Romanian
- Anika – Danish, Dutch, German
- Annika – Swedish, Finnish
- Anikó – Hungarian
- Anina – German
- Anissa – English
- Anisa – Albanian
- Anita – Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, English, Polish
- Anitte – German
- Annychka – Ukrainian
- Anja – Danish, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Serbian, Slovene, Swedish
- Anka – Bulgarian, Czech, German, Croatian, Polish, Russian, Serbian
- Anke – Frisian, German
- Anne – Danish, English, Estonian, French, Swedish
- Anna – Armenian, Breton, Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Malayalam, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovakian, Swedish, Spanish
- 安娜 – Mandarin Chinese
- アンナ – Japanese
- 杏奈 – Japanese
- 안나 (An-na) – Korean[2]
- Annabel – Dutch
- Annaki – Greek
- Annamma – Malayalam
- Annchen – German
- Ann – Danish, Dutch, English, French, German
- Annechien - Dutch
- Anneka – English
- Anneke – Dutch
- Anneli – Estonian, Finnish, Swedish
- Annelie – Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish
- Annella – Scots
- Annele – Latvian
- Annelle – French
- Annet – Dutch
- Annetta – Italian
- Annette – Danish, Dutch, French, Swedish
- Anni – Estonian, Finnish, German, Swedish
- Annick – Breton
- Annie – Dutch, English, French
- Anniina – Finnish
- Annija – Latvian
- Annika – Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Swedish
- Annike – Estonian
- Anniken – Norwegian
- Anniki – Estonian
- Annikki – Finnish
- Anniņa – Latvian
- Annio – Greek
- Annora – English
- Annouche – French
- Annoula – Greek
- Annu – Finnish
- Annus – Hungarian
- Annukka – Finnish
- Annushka – Russian
- Annuska – Hungarian
- Anona – English
- Anouk – Dutch, French
- Ans – Dutch
- Antje – Dutch, German
- Anu – Estonian, Finnish
- Anushka – Russian
- Anya – Russian
- Anyuta – Russian
- Asya – Russian
- Asenka – Russian
- Chana – Hebrew
- Chanah – Hebrew
- Channah – Hebrew
- Enye – Hebrew
- Hajna – Hungarian
- Hana ܚܐܢܐ – Syriac
- Hana – Czech, Slovak, Turkish
- Hania – Ukrainian, Polish
- Hanna – Belarusian, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, Ge'ez, German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Ukrainian
- Hannah – Hebrew, Arabic, English, Estonian, Swedish
- Hanne – German, Scandinavian
- Hannela – Estonian
- Hannele – Estonian, Finnish
- Hannelore – German
- Hannusia – Ukrainian
- Hena – Yiddish
- Henda – Yiddish
- Hendel – Yiddish
- Hene – Yiddish
- Henye – Yiddish
- Ona – Hebrew, Lithuanian, Finnish
- Onnee – Manx
- Panna – Hungarian
- Աննա – Armenian
- แอนนา - Thai language
Composite names including Anna and variants
- Áine – Irish version of Anna
- Anabel – English, Galician, Polish, Spanish
- Anabela – Portuguese
- Anabella – Spanish, English
- Anabelle – English
- Ana Laura - Spanish, Portuguese
- Analeigh – English
- Ana Luisa - Spanish, Portuguese
- Ana Maria – Portuguese
- Ana María – Spanish
- Anamaria – English
- Anamaría – Spanish
- Ana-Maria – Romanian
- Annabel – Catalan, Dutch, English, Estonian
- Anna-Bella – English, Swedish
- Annabella – English, German, Italian, Swedish
- Annabelle – English, French
- Annabeth – English
- Anna-Carin – Swedish
- Anna Greta - English, German, Swedish
- Anna-Greta – Swedish
- Anna Julia - English, German, Swedish
- Anna-Julia - Swedish
- Anna Laura - English, German, Swedish
- Anna-Laura - Swedish
- Annalee – English
- Annaleigh - English
- Annaline - English
- Annalyn - English
- Annalynne - English
- Annalyssa - English
- Anna Lisa - English, German, Swedish
- Anna-Lisa – Swedish
- Anna Louisa - English, German, Swedish
- Anna-Louisa - Swedish
- Anna Maria – English, German, Swedish, Catalan
- Anna-Maria – Estonian, Finnish, Polish, Swedish
- Annamaria – Italian
- Annamária – Hungarian
- Ann-Britt – Swedish
- Ann-Charlotte – Swedish
- Ann-Christin – Swedish
- Annegret – German
- Annelien – Dutch
- Annelies – Dutch, German
- Anneliese – Dutch, German
- Annelise – Danish
- Anneloes – Dutch
- Annemarie – Dutch, English, German
- Annemiek – Dutch
- Annemieke – Dutch
- Annesophie – German
- Ann-Kristin – Swedish
- Ann-Louise – Swedish
- Ann-Margret – Swedish
- Ann-Mari – Swedish
- Ann-Marie – Swedish
- Annmarie – English
- Ann-Sofi – Swedish
- Ann-Sofie – Swedish
- Ittianna – Malayalam
- Julianna - English, German
- Julianne - English, French
- Lauranna - English, German
- Lauranne - English, French
- Leann – English
- Leanna – English
- Leanne – English
- Leeann – English
- Lianna - English
- Liliana - Portuguese
- Lisann – Estonian
- Lisanna – Estonian
- Lisanne – Dutch, English, Estonian
- Luana – English
- Luann – English
- Luanna – English
- Luanne – English
- Lyanna – English, French, Greek, Latin
- Lyanne – English, French, Greek, Latin
- Marian – English, Estonian
- Mariana – Czech, Estonian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish
- Mariann – Estonian
- Mari-Ann – Estonian
- Mari-Anna – Estonian
- Marianna – English, Estonian, Finnish, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Slovakian
- Mari-Anne – Estonian
- Marianne – English, Danish, Estonian, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish
- Marijana – Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
- Marjaana – Estonian, Finnish
- Marjaane – Estonian
- Marjan – Dutch
- Marjana – Slovene, Ukrainian
- Maryann – English
- Maryanne – English
- Hanna-Liina – Estonian
- Pollyanna – English
- Rosanna – English, Italian, Portuguese
- Roseanne – English
- Ruthanne – English
- Saranna – English
People
Anna is a very common given name. People with the name include:
- Anna, prophetess mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 2:36
- Anna Ahlström (1863–1943), Swedish teacher, principal, and school founder
- Anna Akhmanova (born 1967), Russian cell biologist
- Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966), Russian poet
- Anna Anderson (1896–1984), Romanov impostor who claimed she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia
- Anna of Austria (1528–1590), daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
- Anne of Austria, Queen of Poland (1573–1598), Queen consort of Poland and Sweden, wife of Sigismund III Vasa
- Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain (1549–1580), Queen consort of Spain, wife of Philip II
- Anna Fisher Beiler (1848–1904), British-born American missionary, newspaper editor
- Anna Benaki-Psarouda (born 1934), Greek politician
- Anna Bergendahl (born 1991), Swedish singer
- Anna Farquhar Bergengren (1865–?), American writer, editor
- Anna Bijns (1493–1575), Flemish writer, schoolteacher and nun
- Anna Blaman (1905–1960), Dutch writer and poet
- Anna Blässe (born 1987), German footballer
- Anna Louisa Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint (1812–1886), Dutch novelist
- Anna van der Breggen (born 1990), Dutch racing cyclist
- Anna Mae Bullock (born 1938), American singer, better known as Tina Turner
- Anna Caballero (born 1955), American politician
- Anna Cabana (born 1979), French journalist
- Anna Camp (born 1982), American actress and singer
- Anna Cathcart (born 2003), Canadian actress
- Anna Chakvetadze (born 1987), Russian tennis player
- Anna Chatterton, Canadian playwright
- Anna Chernenko (1913–2010), First Lady of the Soviet Union
- Anna Ciddor (born 1957), Australian author and illustrator
- Anna Coble (died 2009), American biophysicist
- Anna Diamantopoulou (born 1959), Greek politician
- Anna Bowman Dodd (1858–1929), American writer
- Anna Dániel (1908–2003), Hungarian journalist
- Anna Peyre Dinnies (1805-1886), American writer
- Anna Drijver (born 1983), Dutch actress and model
- Anna van Egmont (1533–1558), Dutch noble, first wife of William the Silent
- Anna Enquist (born 1945), Dutch poet and novelist
- Anna Eriksson, (born 1977) Finnish singer
- Anna d'Este (1531–1607), Italian-born French princess
- Anna Ewers, (born 1993), German fashion model
- Anna Faris, (born 1976) American actress
- Anna-Maria Galojan (born 1982), Estonian politician, model, and fugitive
- Anna Gardner (1816–1901), American abolitionist, poet, teacher
- Anna Gunn, (born 1968) American actress
- Anna Haava (1864–1957), Estonian poet
- Anna Roosevelt Halsted (1906-1975), only daughter of president Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Anna M. Hammer (1840–1910), American philanthropist and temperance movement leader
- Anna Harrison (1775-1864), wife of president William Henry Harrison
- Anna Hazare (born 1937), Indian social activist
- Anna of Hohenstaufen (1230–1307), Empress of Nicaea
- Anna Hopkins (born 1987), Canadian actress
- Anna Iriyama (born 1995), Japanese idol singer (AKB48)
- Anna Irwin Young (1873–1920), American mathematician
- Anna Jacobsen (1924–2004), Norwegian champion of Southern Sami language and culture
- Anna Kendrick (born 1985), American film and stage actress
- Anna Khanum (died 1647), Queen consort of Iran, wife of Safi I
- Anna Komnene (1083–1153), daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexius I and writer of the Alexiad
- Anna Korakaki (born 1996), Greek shooter
- Anna Kostanyan (born 1987), Armenian politician
- Anna Kournikova (born 1981), Russian tennis player
- Anna Lapushchenkova (born 1986), Russian tennis player
- Anna Lewis (suffragette) (1889 - 1976), British suffragette, member of the militant Women's Social and Political Union.
- Anna Magnani (1908–1973), Italian actress
- Anna Margaret Collins (born 1996), American singer-songwriter and actress
- Anna Massey (1937–2011), English actress
- Anna K. Mapp (born 1970), American Chemist
- Anna McAllister (1888-1961), American historian
- Anna McGahan (born 1988), Australian actress
- Anna McGarrigle (born 1944), Canadian singer
- Anna McGurk (1968–1991), British murder victim
- Anna McMorrin (born 1971), British politician
- Anna de' Medici, Archduchess of Austria (1616–1676), Italian noble, Austrian royal consort
- Anna Melyukova (1921–2004), Russian archaeologist
- Anna Menconi (born 1971), Italian Paralympic archer
- Anna Merz (1931–2013), English conservationist
- Anna Mons (1672–1714), Dutch commoner who almost succeeded in marrying Tsar Peter the Great
- Anna Murashige (born 1998), Japanese idol singer (HKT48, NMB48)
- Anna Nagata (born 1982), Japanese actress
- Anna Nanousi, Greek fashion model and television presenter
- Anna Neethling-Pohl (1906–1992), South African actress, performer and film producer
- Anna de Noailles (1876–1933), Romanian-French writer
- Anna Nordqvist (born 1987), Swedish golfer
- Anna Notaras (died 1507), Byzantine writer
- Anna Palaiologina (died 1320), Byzantine princess
- Anna Paquin (born 1982), Canadian-born New Zealand actress
- Anna Passey (born 1984), English actress
- Anna Patten (born 1999), English footballer
- Anna Pavlova (1881–1931), prima ballerina
- Anna Pavlovna of Russia (1795–1865), Queen consort of the Netherlands, wife of William II
- Anna Polak (1906–1943), Dutch Jewish gymnast
- Anna Sophia Polak (1874–1943), Dutch Jewish feminist and author
- Anna Pollatou (1983–2014), Greek rhythmic gymnast
- Anna Porphyrogenita (963–1011), Grand Princess consort of Kiev
- Anna Quayle (1932–2019), English actress
- Anna Hall Roosevelt (1863-1892), mother of Eleanor Roosevelt
- Anna of Russia (1693–1740), Empress of Russia
- Anna Rutgers van der Loeff (1910–1990), Dutch writer of children's novels
- Anna Ruysch (1666–1741), Dutch flower painter
- Anna of Savoy (1306–1365), Byzantine Empress consort
- Anna of Saxony (1544–1577), German noble, second wife of William the Silent
- Anna Karolína Schmiedlová (born 1994), Slovak tennis player
- Anna van Schurman (1607–1678), Dutch painter, engraver, poet, and scholar
- Anna Sedokova (born 1982), Ukrainian singer, actress and television presenter
- Anna Segal (born 1986), Australian Olympic freestyle skier, twice world champion
- Anna Seghers (1900–1983), German writer
- Anna Seile (born 1939), Latvian politician
- Anna Semenovich (born 1980), Russian singer, actress, model, and former ice dancer
- Anna Shulgina (born 1993), Russian film and stage actress, singer and TV presenter
- Anna Skarbek (born 1976), Australian businesswoman and former investment banker.
- Anna Smashnova (born 1976), Belarus-born Israeli tennis player
- Anna Soubry (born 1956), British politician
- Anna-Stina Nilstoft (1928–2017), Swedish artist
- Anna Stroka (1923–2020), Polish literary historian and author
- Anna Synodinou (1927–2016), Greek actress and politician
- Anna Tatishvili (born 1990), Georgian tennis player
- Anna Thynn, Marchioness of Bath (born 1943), Hungarian actress and British noblewoman by marriage
- Anna Tonelli (c.1763–1846), Italian portrait painter in the late 17th century and early 18th century.
- Anna of Trebizond (died 1342), Empress of Trebizond
- Anna Augusta Truitt (1837–1920), American philanthropist, reformer, essayist
- Anna Tsygankova (born 1979), Russian ballet dancer
- Anna Turley (born 1978), British politician
- Anna of Tyrol (1585–1618), Holy Roman Empress
- Anna van der Vegt (1903–1983), Dutch gymnast
- Anna Verouli (born 1956), Greek javelin thrower
- Anna Vignoles, British educationalist
- Anna Villani (born 1966), Italian marathon runner
- Anna Visscher (1584–1651), Dutch artist, poet, and translator
- Anna Vissi (born 1957), Greek-Cypriot singer
- Anna de Waal (1906–1981), Dutch politician, Secretary of Education
- Anna Cabot Lowell Quincy Waterston (1812–1899), American writer
- Anna Weber-van Bosse (1852–1921), Dutch phycologist
- Ann Wilkins (1806–1857), American missionary teacher
- Anna Wintour (born 1949) British-American fashion journalist and editor-in-chief of the magazine Vogue
- Anna Wise (born 1991), American singer
- Anna Woltz (born 1981), Dutch writer
- Anna Wood (kayaker) (born 1966), Dutch-born Australian sprint canoeist
- Anna Zak (born 2001), Israeli singer
- as a masculine name
- Anna of East Anglia (died 653 or 654), king of East Anglia
Fictional use
- Anna Delaney, a character in the Netflix series Grand Army
- Anna De Souza, a character in ITV soap opera Emmerdale
- Anna Lightwood, a protagonist from the upcoming series The Last Hours, part of The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
- Anna, an alternate name for Morgause of Arthurian legend
- Anna Perenna, the sister of Dido in Roman mythology and later literature
- Anna Karenina is a main character in a novel written by Leo Tolstoy of the same name
- Anna, Princess of Arendelle and the protagonist of Disney's movie Frozen
- Anna Kakuzawa, a character in the Elfen Leid manga series
- Anna Schmidt, a character in Mind Your Language
- Anna Williams, a character in the Tekken video game series
- Anna Windass, a character in ITV soap opera Coronation Street
See also
Notes
- "Virgil, Aeneid Book 4, lines 31-52". Perseus Digital Library.
- Lie, Kwang-Sook (1996). "Foreign First Names in Korea" (PDF). The SNU Journal of Education Research. 06: 51–59.