'Anna' originates from Hebrew, specifically the word 'חַנָּה' (Hannah), where the root meant 'favor' or 'grace'.

'Anna' changed from the Hebrew name 'Channah' to the Greek form 'Ἄννα', then to Latin 'Anna', and through Medieval and Early Modern usage became the modern English given name 'Anna'.

Initially it meant 'favor' or 'grace' in Hebrew; over time it has been retained as a personal name carrying that association rather than a literal common-noun meaning.