Anna

Anna is the Latinate and Greek form of the Hebrew name Channah, meaning grace or favor, derived from the root chanan. In the Old Testament, Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel, while in Christian tradition Anna is identified as the mother of the Virgin Mary, a figure drawing on apocryphal texts and venerated as a saint across Catholic and Orthodox churches. The name spread widely through medieval Europe via religious devotion and has remained consistently popular across numerous languages and cultures for centuries. Closely related forms include Hannah, Anne, Ann, Ana, Annette, and Anna.