Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ann

Ann is another English form of Anne (Anna is the Latinate version). Ann, Anne, Ana and Anna are names that date back to the Middle Ages popularized by medieval Christians. In accordance with Christian tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary. She appears in the New Testament apocrypha – the Gospel of James – which, by the way, is not technically an official part of the Bible but was believed to have been written around the middle of the 2nd century. James’s gospel deals with the birth and childhood of the Virgin Mary and we are introduced to Mary’s parents, Anne and Joachim (which would make Anne Jesus’ grandmother). Anne’s story closely mimics Hannah’s from the Bible which is appropriate since the name Anne finds her roots in the Hebrew name Hannah (in the Old Testament Hannah is the mother of Samuel). Apropos, Anne’s story closely mimics Hannah’s. Both women were barren, both women prayed to God for a child, and both promised to dedicate said child to the Lord in return for His “grace, favor” (Hannah means “grace, favor” in Hebrew). Because the Gospel of James is not supported by factual, historic hard evidence, the legend of Anne and Joachim has become more of a Christian tradition rather than official Scripture (i.e., “word of God”). As the purported parents of the Virgin Mary, Anne and Joachim have been held on the proverbial pedestal as a model for all parents. In other words, Anne and Joachim must have built a loving family structure through their devotion to God and their foundation of faith. Such an upbringing would have allowed Mary to give herself over to God as the vessel to bring Jesus to earth and then to bravely stand by her son at His crucifixion. Not surprisingly, Saint Anne (as she is now known) is the Patron Saint to all Christian mothers and to women in labor. Catholics parents pray to Saint Anne for the strength to be good, faithful parents. Now you can see fully why Hannah/Anna are names that spread in popularity within Judeo-Christian tradition in Western Culture. Hebrew Hannah –> Latin Anna –> English Ann(e), and so on in other languages. Both Ann and Anne were used in medieval England, but Ann became the more popular of the two spellings starting in the 19th century. Today, however, Anne has surpassed the popularity of Ann but not by much. Anna and Ana are the most favored versions of this name today. The simplistic three-lettered, one-syllable Ann pales by comparison to the ultra-popular Anna.

All About the Baby Name – Ann

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ANN

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ANN

Ann has had an interesting history on the American naming charts in the past century. The name entered the 20th century on the Top 100 list of most commonly used female names in the country which made her a national favorite. Her peak success came in 1937 when Ann was the 28th most commonly chosen name for baby girls. In fact, Ann remained on the Top 100 for 75 consecutive years, finally falling off that list in 1975. That year pretty much marked the beginning of the end for old tried-and-true Ann. The name continued its decline down the charts throughout the 1980s and 90s and has dropped more considerably since the turn of the 21st century. Today Ann is barely hanging on to the Top 1000 list at this point while the two-syllable Anna continues to hold strong to the charts. Given the female naming trends in the United States today, there really isn’t a place for minimalistic one-syllable names like Ann anymore. It’s considered a bit too simple and boring by today’s standards. Still, you can’t go wrong with a name like Ann – especially if you prefer things short and sweet. Not to mention Ann (like Marie) is a staple middle name.

Quick Facts

ON ANN

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

916

PRONUNCIATION:

ANN

SIMPLE MEANING:

Grace, favor

Characteristics

OF ANN

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ann

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ANN

Raggedy Ann is the delightful rag doll created by Johnny Gruelle in 1915 for his daughter, Marcella, and introduced to the public in a series of books he wrote and illustrated, beginning in 1918, and later featuring her brother doll, Raggedy Andy. Raggedy Ann is the undisputed leader of the dolls in Marcella’s nursery, and she takes her obligations seriously. She is always trying to do the right thing, cheerfully, albeit not always successfully. With her bright red yarn hair, cotton pinafore and big candy heart (proclaiming “I LOVE YOU”), Ann is a delightful addition to the playfields of imagination of children for generations.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ANN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ann


Popular Songs

ON ANN

Sally Ann
a song by Flatt and Scruggs

Carrie Ann
a song by Styx

Marry Me, Ann
a song by The Dickies

Ann Disaster
a song by Ben Kweller

Ann
a song by David Gates

Ann Don't Cry
a song by Pavement

Miss Ann
a song by Little Richard

Barbara Ann
a song by The Beach Boys

Margaret Ann
a song by Goldfinger

Taylor Ann
a song by David Hasselhoff

Melody Ann
a song by the Marshall Tucker Band

Cecilia Ann
a song by the Pixies

Sweet Charlotte Ann
a song by Ian Corigan

Famous People

NAMED ANN

Ann Curry (news journalist, TV personality)
Ann Romney (wife of Mitt Romney)
Ann Coulter (political commentator)
Ann Jillian (actress)
Ann Landers (advice columnist)
Ann Brashares (author)
Ann Meyers-Drysdale (basketball player)
Ann Taylor (clothing brand)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ANN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Ann

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ANN

Mary Todd Lincoln was the wife of perhaps the most beloved president in American history, Abraham Lincoln, and served as first lady of the land from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He was beloved – she was not. Poor Mary’s reputation has suffered as much since her death as before. Maligned as a vain clotheshorse, a spendthrift, and a neurotically selfish woman, she is often depicted as a scourge of the sainted Abe, responsible for just about every ill he suffered short of the assassination. The truth, of course, lies closer to a mundane, albeit crushing, reality. Mary Todd was born into a rich Kentucky family and was educated accordingly. Her marriage to Lincoln was seen by her family as a social faux-pas, but she stubbornly stood by him and relinquished her strong Southern roots in favor of supporting him through the Civil War. As a mother, she had the unenviable fate of outliving three of her four sons. Son “Eddie” died at the age of four of tuberculosis; “Willie” died of typhoid fever at the age of twelve; “Tad” died (probably of pneumonia) at the age of eighteen. Only Robert outlived her, and he had her declared incompetent and confined to a mental institution. As a wife, she suffered the trauma of having her husband violently killed right beside her. As a woman in general, she was a victim of various ailments, including depression and the dreaded migraine headaches that afflicted her for years. She even attempted suicide at one point. Mary spent her final years in the home of her sister, as her health grew steadily worse. She died at age sixty-three.

Elizabeth Seton has the distinction of being the first native-born American to be canonized a saint. She was born into a well-to-do family and married well and happy herself. Unfortunately, through a series of events, Elizabeth’s life was struck by one tragedy after another. She eventually made her way to Italy where she became enamored by the Catholic Church and promptly became a devout member. Coming back to America, she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph to serve the poor children of Baltimore, Maryland.

Elizabeth Seton has the distinction of being the first native-born American to be canonized a saint. She was born into a well-to-do family and married well and happy herself. Unfortunately, through a series of events, Elizabeth’s life was struck by one tragedy after another. She eventually made her way to Italy where she became enamored by the Catholic Church and promptly became a devout member. Coming back to America, she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph to serve the poor children of Baltimore, Maryland.

Elizabeth Seton has the distinction of being the first native-born American to be canonized a saint. She was born into a well-to-do family and married well and happy herself. Unfortunately, through a series of events, Elizabeth’s life was struck by one tragedy after another. She eventually made her way to Italy where she became enamored by the Catholic Church and promptly became a devout member. Coming back to America, she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph to serve the poor children of Baltimore, Maryland.