Anna
AH-nah
A classic name meaning “grace,” with deep biblical and cross-cultural roots.
Meaning
Anna is the familiar form of Hannah, ultimately from the Hebrew root meaning “grace” or “favor.” In the 19th-century sources, it is treated as the same name as Ann/Anne in English usage and as a form found across several European languages. The excerpts also note a separate classical association with Anna Perenna in Roman tradition, but the name’s Christian-name meaning is tied to Hannah/“grace.”
Origin
Hebrewfeminine
Fun fact
The sources mention that Anna was sometimes linked by Romans to their goddess Anna Perenna because the names sounded alike, even though the Christian name comes from Hannah.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.