The Baby Name Wizard

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Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Anna!

Comments and insights on the name Anna: | Edit

According to the baby name book "Cool Names" by Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, Anna is considered 'cool', while Anne is 'uncool' and Annika is 'cooler'.

Personal experiences with the name Anna: | Edit

My name is Anna, I have always loved my name, Its simple but lovely. I never have to spell my name out to people and its the same backwards :)

Frequently gets mispronounced as Ana for me...probably because I have a Hispanic last name, Valencia and I live close to the border where there is a high Hispanic population. Don't let that stop you from naming your daughter Anna though, I think it is a beautiful and simple name.

My sister is called Anna, and she frequently gets mistaken for Hannah. Her dad named her Anna after Agnetha from Abba, who was also known as Anna.

Nicknames for Anna: | Edit

Annie, Nan, Anya, Anoushka, Anouk, Ani, Annika, Ann, Nana, Anna-din

Meanings and history of the name Anna: | Edit

Anna was a prophetess and recognized Jesus as Messiah when Mary and Joseph brought him to the temple. Luke 2:36

Famous real-life people named Anna: | Edit

Anna Symmes Harrison, First Lady and wife of William Henry Harrison
Anna Neagle, actress
Anna Quayle, actress
Anna Manahan, actress
Anna Friel, actress
Anna Massey, actress
Anna Pavlova, gymnast/ inspiration for the Aussie dessert of Pavlova YUM! :)
Anna Jarvis, founder of the Mother's Day Holiday in USA
Anna Paquin, actress
Anna Wintour, editor in cheif of Vogue magazine
Agnetha Faltskog - Anna - from ABBA
Anna Kournikova - tennis player/model

Anna in song, story & screen: | Edit

Anna - An Arthur Alexander Hit, covered later by The Beatles.
"Anna Begins", a song by Counting Crows
Anna Karenina, a novel by Leo Tolstoy
Anna Burnett, character in the book series "The Medallion of Franzek" by the argentine writer Canela Lopez Fassón