Ana
Ana was the 245th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,276 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 119th with 2,652 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 34 places. More babies were named Ana in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Anna) grace, favor · Hebrew, Greek, Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #245 girls, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,276girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19912,652 babies
- Total since 1880
- 111,960babies recorded
What does the name Ana mean?
Ana is a spelling of Anna, pronounced the same way, so it shares Anna's meaning and origin.
Anna is the Greek and Latin form of the Hebrew Channah (Hannah), 'grace, favor'. It appears in the New Testament as the prophetess Anna, and in Christian tradition as Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. DMNES lists these bearers, and many medieval queens, under Anne. Wikipedia notes that Anna, Ann and Anne are all in wide use, with Anne originally a French form. Anna is the usual form in most European languages.
חַנָּה (Biblical Hebrew, “Channah, grace”)Ἄννα (Koine Greek, “Anna”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ann, Anne, Hannah, Ana, Annie, Anya, Annika.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Anne', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Anna', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Anna (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Ana popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 601 since 1930.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #245 | 1,276 |
| 2020 | #244 | 1,238 |
| 2010 | #197 | 1,575 |
| 2000 | #136 | 2,428 |
| 1990 | #124 | 2,614 |
| 1980 | #198 | 1,325 |
| 1970 | #280 | 1,048 |
| 1960 | #382 | 619 |
| 1950 | #556 | 223 |
| 1940 | #868 | 67 |
| 1930 | #690 | 99 |
| 1920 | #894 | 66 |
| 1910 | #1,422 | 11 |
| 1900 | #888 | 18 |
| 1890 | #668 | 16 |
| 1880 | #841 | 5 |
How popular is Ana, counting every spelling?
Ana is a spelling of Anna, a name family that ranked #73 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #245 for Ana on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,813 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | 2,521 | #107 | 14,215 |
| Ana | 1,276 | #245 | 6,801 |
| Annah | 16 | #6,865 | 96 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ana?
1,276 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ana (0.35 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ana born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ana.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ana?
About 105,000 people born in the US named Ana are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 19 and 43. That makes Ana mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ana by state
How common Ana was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.8×), Texas (2.2×), New Mexico (1.8×), Alabama (1.7×), Florida (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Missouri, Michigan, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ana: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ana, they share its era and feel.
Ana is also a nickname for Anastasia.
Questions about the name Ana
What does Ana mean?
Ana is a spelling of Anna, which means “grace, favor” (Hebrew, Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ana?
Ana was the 245th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,276 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 119th with 2,652 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 34 places. More babies were named Ana in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Ana a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ana in the US.
Where is Ana most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ana was most common in Arizona (2.32 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and New Mexico.