Anna sits comfortably in the UK charts at #125 in 2024 — recognisable but not overwhelming. Your child may occasionally share their name.
Origin & Meaning
Hebrew — Grace, favour
📊
UK Rank 2024
#125
US Rank #94
About the Name Anna
Anna is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 36 places over five years. Its high point was #31 in 2000, and it now sits at #125. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has spent 26 of the last 29 years inside the UK top 100 — a mark of enduring mainstream appeal.
In terms of origin, Anna is rooted in Hebrew, where it means "Grace, favour". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.
Anna is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #94, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Anna
Unlikely. With around 388 UK babies named Anna per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Anna in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Anna has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 36 places in the last five years. Its peak was #31 in 2000. Choosing it now means she is likely to be among the last of her generation with this name.
The name Anna has Hebrew origins and means "Grace, favour". Names with clear etymological roots tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles and give children a story to tell about their name.
Notable people named Anna include: Anna Petrakova — Anna "Anya" Viktorovna Petrakova-Parker is a Russian former basketball player.; Anna Wintour — Dame Anna Wintour is a British and American media executive who served as editor-in-chief of Vogue from 1988 to 2025.; Anna Throndsen — Anna Tronds or Anna Kristoffersdatter, known in English as Anna Throndsen and posthumously as Anna Rustung, was a Dano-Norwegian noblewoman, daughter of....
Anna ranks #94 in the US (2024), making it comfortably inside the American top 100. It's well-liked on both sides of the Atlantic.
388
UK babies named Anna (2024)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.2
In a school of 600
↓ 36 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Anna
Likely around 1 other Anna in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Anna
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Anna "Anya" Viktorovna Petrakova-Parker is a Russian former basketball player. She was part of the Russia women's national basketball team that placed fourth at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Dame Anna Wintour is a British and American media executive who served as editor-in-chief of Vogue from 1988 to 2025. Currently, Wintour serves as global chief content officer and artist director at Condé Nast.
Anna Tronds or Anna Kristoffersdatter, known in English as Anna Throndsen and posthumously as Anna Rustung, was a Dano-Norwegian noblewoman, daughter of admiral Kristoffer Throndsen, a Danish-Norwegian admiral of Norwegian origin. In English and Scots history, Anna Throndsen is best known for her engagement to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (which later earned her the nickname Skottefruen ("The Scottish Lady")), a man who later married Mary, Queen of Scots.
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón, often known as Santa Anna, was a Mexican general, politician, and caudillo who served as the eighth president of Mexico on multiple occasions between 1833 and 1855. He also served as vice president of Mexico from 1837 to 1839.
Anna Matilda (née McNeill) Whistler was the mother of American-born, British-based painter James McNeill Whistler, who made her the subject of his famous painting Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1, often titled Whistler's Mother.