Ann

Where Ann comes from

From Late Latin Anna chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anna the Prophetess, from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna, “Anna”) in the New Testament, from Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥannâ, “Hannah”), from חַנָּה (ḥannâ, “grace, gracious, graced with child”). Occasionally reborrowed from languages who adopted the name from English. Very infrequently from Estonian abbreviation of Anna instead. Doublet of Ana, Anna, Anne, and Hannah.
— Wiktionary's entry for Ann
  • Hebrew
  • 1 syllable
Along the way
  1. 1764
    Ann Radcliffe born
    English author and pioneer of the Gothic novel
  2. 1880
    First SSA year
    Already #122 among girls — 131 babies in the first year on record.
  3. 1936
    Peak, #28
    6,666 babies named Ann — more than any year before or since.
  4. 1961
    Ann Coulter born
    American author, political commentator
  5. 1973
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #93.
In the dictionary
  • A female given name from Hebrew.
Namesakes
  • Ann Radcliffe · English author and pioneer of the Gothic novel, 1764–1823
  • Ann Coulter · American author, political commentator, born 1961

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.