Ana

Meaning and origin

Ana means “favor” or “grace.” It is a form of Anna, which comes from the Hebrew name Hannah and the root hanan, meaning “to be gracious.” Its three-letter spelling belongs to a large international family of names with the same Hebrew origin.

Anna was the form used in Greek and Latin versions of the Old Testament. The New Testament also includes a prophetess named Anna, who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. Christian tradition later gave the name Anna, usually Anne in English, to the mother of the Virgin Mary. These biblical and religious connections helped the wider family become established across Europe.

Ana is used in Spanish and Portuguese and in languages including Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Georgian, and Slovene. The same short spelling can therefore connect with several distinct local naming traditions. Its history extends well beyond any one country, while its relationship with Anna and Hannah remains recognizable.

Pronunciation and familiar forms

In Spanish, Ana is pronounced AH-na, with two syllables and the stress on the first. Portuguese uses a similar two-syllable structure with different vowel sounds; Brazilian Portuguese commonly gives the opening vowel a nasal quality.

Ani and Anita are familiar forms in Spanish, and Anita is also used in Portuguese. Other language traditions have forms such as Anica and Anka. Anna, Anne, Ann, Hanna, and Hannah belong to the wider family, although they follow their own spelling and pronunciation patterns.

The single n is the most visible difference between Ana and Anna. Ana keeps the name especially brief in writing while retaining a full two-syllable sound when spoken.

Ana de Armas on screen

Actor Ana de Armas is a contemporary bearer of the name. She leads the cast of the 2022 film Blonde, written and directed by Andrew Dominik and based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

The film offers a fictionalized interpretation of Marilyn Monroe’s life, following Norma Jeane’s childhood, rise to fame, and relationships while exploring the distance between her private life and public image. Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale also appear in the cast. De Armas received a nomination for Actress in a Leading Role at the 2023 Academy Awards for the performance, giving Ana a prominent recent connection with cinema.

Popularity in the United States

Ana’s strongest year among American girls was 1991, when 2,652 received the name and it ranked number 119. Its American record stretches back to the nineteenth century, alongside its much longer international history.

It ranked number 211 in 2015, number 244 in 2020, and number 245 in 2025. These figures describe Ana specifically; Anna and the other related spellings are counted separately.

How popular is Ana?

In 2025, Ana ranked #245 among girls in the United States, with 1,276 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 2,652 in 1991. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.