Ann
Ann was the 1076th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 225 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 1957 (9,040). Over the last ten years it has moved down 178 places. More babies were named Ann in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Anne) grace, favor (from Hannah) · Hebrew, French
- Rank in 2025
- #1,076 girls, up 29 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 225girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19579,040 babies
- Total since 1880
- 471,625babies recorded
What does the name Ann mean?
Ann is a spelling of Anne, pronounced the same way, so it shares Anne's meaning and origin.
Anne is the French form of Anna, from Hebrew Channah (Hannah), which DMNES glosses as "grace, favor." Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel. The name spread in Christian Europe through Saint Anne, the mother of Mary in tradition, and Anna the prophetess in Luke's Gospel. DMNES lists queens consort of England and Bohemia and a duchess of Brittany among its medieval bearers. Wiktionary notes that English took the name chiefly from French. Ann, Anna and Hannah are close relatives.
חַנָּה (Biblical Hebrew, “Hannah; grace, favor”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ann, Anna, Hannah, Annie, Anita, Nancy.
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', DMNES (Durham University)
- 1 Samuel 1:2, The JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition (via Sefaria), Jewish Publication Society / Sefaria
- Luke 2:36 (New Testament), King James Version, via Bible Gateway, Bible Gateway (KJV, public domain)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Anne' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Ann popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,364 since 1905.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,076 | 225 |
| 2020 | #1,105 | 221 |
| 2010 | #913 | 286 |
| 2000 | #493 | 546 |
| 1990 | #250 | 1,124 |
| 1980 | #136 | 2,168 |
| 1970 | #62 | 5,740 |
| 1960 | #51 | 8,677 |
| 1950 | #45 | 7,921 |
| 1940 | #35 | 7,196 |
| 1930 | #41 | 5,531 |
| 1920 | #49 | 5,041 |
| 1910 | #52 | 1,842 |
| 1900 | #92 | 736 |
| 1890 | #121 | 328 |
| 1880 | #122 | 131 |
How popular is Ann, counting every spelling?
Ann is a spelling of Anne, a name family that ranked #457 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,076 for Ann on its own. Together these spellings went to 697 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne | 472 | #619 | 2,473 |
| Ann | 225 | #1,076 | 1,120 |
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 Ann?
225 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ann (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ann 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 37 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ann.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ann?
About 251,100 people born in the US named Ann are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 57 and 76. That makes Ann a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Ann by state
How common Ann was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (14.3×), Alabama (8.8×), South Carolina (3.0×), Tennessee (2.9×), Virginia (2.1×). In 28 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ann: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ann, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ann
What does Ann mean?
Ann is a spelling of Anne, which means “grace, favor (from Hannah)” (Hebrew, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ann?
Ann was the 1076th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 225 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 1957 (9,040). Over the last ten years it has moved down 178 places. More babies were named Ann in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Ann a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ann in the US.
Where is Ann most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ann was most common in Mississippi (1.97 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and South Carolina.