Anna (name)
![]() 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, Ann, Anne, Annie, Annette |
Anna is a Latin form of the Greek name Ἅννα 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 was 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.[citation needed]
Variant forms
Alternate forms of Anna, including spelling variants, short forms, diminutives and transliterations are:
- Aina – Catalan, Swedish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian
- Ana – Bulgarian, Croatian, 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
- Aneta – Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Polish
- Anete – Estonian, Latvian
- Anett – Estonian
- Anette – Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
- Ania – Polish
- 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
- Anja – Danish, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Serbian, Slovene, Swedish
- Anka – Bulgarian, Czech, German, Croatian, Polish, Russian, Serbian
- Anke – Frisian, German
- Anne – Danish, English, Estonian, 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
- 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
- Ganna – Ukrainian
- Gannusya – Ukrainian
- Hajna – Hungarian
- Hana ܚܐܢܐ – Assyrian Aramaic (Surayt)
- Hana – Czech, Slovak, Turkish
- Hania – 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
- Hena – Yiddish
- Henda – Yiddish
- Hendel – Yiddish
- Hene – Yiddish
- Henye – Yiddish
- Ona – Hebrew, Lithuanian, Finnish
- Onnee – Manx
- Panna – Hungarian
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
- Analeigh – English
- Ana Luisa - Spanish
- 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
- 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
- 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[citation needed], 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, from the Gospel of Luke 2:36, a "prophetess", "daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher"
- Anna Akhmanova (born 1967), Russian cell biologist.
- Anna Anderson (1896–1984), Romanov impostor. She claimed she was 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 Benaki-Psarouda, 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 Camp (born 1982), American actress and singer
- Anna Chakvetadze (born 1987), Russian tennis player
- Anna Chernenko, First Lady of the Soviet Union
- Anna Ciddor, Australian author and illustrator.
- Anna Diamantopoulou, Greek politician
- Anna Bowman Dodd (1858-1929), 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 Faris, (born 1976) American actress
- Anna Gardner (1816–1901), American abolitionist, poet, teacher
- Anna Gunn, (born 1968) American actress
- 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 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, Greek shooter
- Anna Kournikova (born 1981), Russian tennis player
- Anna Lapushchenkova (born 1986), Russian tennis player
- Anna Magnani (1908–1973), Italian actress
- Anna Margaret Collins (born 1996), American singer-songwriter and actress
- Anna Massey (1937–2011), English actress
- Anna McAllister (b. 1888), American historian of Catholic women's history
- Anna de' Medici, Archduchess of Austria (1616–1676), Italian noble, Austrian royal consort
- 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, 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, Byzantine writer
- Anna Palaiologina, Byzantine princess
- Anna Paquin (born 1982) Canadian-born New Zealand actress
- Anna Passey (born 1984) English actress
- 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, Greek rhythmic gymnast
- Anna Porphyrogenita, Grand Princess consort of Kiev
- 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 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 Synodinou, Greek actress and politician
- Anna Tatishvili (born 1990), Georgian tennis player
- Anna of Trebizond (died 1342), Empress of Trebizond
- Anna Augusta Truitt (1837–1920), American philanthropist, reformer, essayist
- Anna of Tyrol (1585–1618), Holy Roman Empress
- Anna van der Vegt (1903–1983), Dutch gymnast
- Anna Verouli, 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
- Anna Wood (kayaker) (born 1966), Dutch-born Australian sprint canoeist
- as a masculine name
- Anna of East Anglia (killed 653 or 654), king of East Anglia
Fictional use
- 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 is the protagonist of Disney's movie Frozen.
- Anna Kakuzawa, a character in the Elfen Leid manga series
- Anna Windass, character in ITV soap opera Coronation Street
See also
Notes
- Given names
- Given names of Greek language origin
- Belarusian feminine given names
- Bulgarian feminine given names
- Czech feminine given names
- Danish feminine given names
- Dutch feminine given names
- English feminine given names
- Estonian feminine given names
- Finnish feminine given names
- German feminine given names
- Greek feminine given names
- Hungarian feminine given names
- Icelandic feminine given names
- Norwegian feminine given names
- Polish feminine given names
- Russian feminine given names
- Scandinavian feminine given names
- Swedish feminine given names
- Slavic feminine given names