Anna: Name Meaning, Origin, and Bible Story. A river winding across a desert, green life following the water.

Name meaning

Anna: Meaning, Origin, and the Bible

Hebrew · grace, or favor · Luke 2:38

Anna is a Hebrew name meaning grace, or favor. In the Bible, the aged prophetess in the temple bore this name. Below is its true meaning, its story, a verse that fits it, and a blessing.

In the Bible a name is never only a label. It carries a hope, a prayer, or a story, and again and again God Himself gives or changes a name to mark what He is doing in a life. So to ask what a name means is a good and old question, and it deserves an honest answer, not a guess. Here is the real meaning, where it comes from, and where it can lead.

What the name Anna means

The name Anna comes from Hebrew and means grace, or favor. Names like this were chosen with care, often to remember what God had done or to speak a hope over a child, and the meaning has carried down through the generations to the families who give the name today.

Anna in the Bible

Anna was a widow of great age who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. When the infant Jesus was brought in, she gave thanks and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption. Her name, from the Hebrew Hannah, means grace.

A verse for Anna

“And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”Luke 2:38

A blessing for Anna

Grace and peace be upon Anna. May the meaning of this name, grace, be a small window into a large love, and may Anna come to know the God who is nearer than any name. We ask that Anna would be guarded, be glad, and be gathered in time to Jesus Christ, the Bread of life, who says there is room for everyone at His table.

Every name points to one Name

Scripture says God has given Jesus a name which is above every name, and that there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Whatever your name means, its deepest hope is met in Him. He knows His own by name, and He calls them to Himself as the Living Bread, the One who satisfies the hunger no name can fill.

Who is Jesus? · The gospel explained · Begin with Jesus

Go deeperPeople of the BibleRead the chapterAll name meanings

Questions people ask

Is Anna a name in the Bible?

Yes. The aged prophetess in the temple bore the name Anna in Scripture. You can read the account above; the Bible tells the story plainly and honestly.

What does the name Anna mean?

Anna is a Hebrew name meaning grace, or favor.

What does Anna mean in Hebrew?

In Hebrew, the name Anna means grace, or favor. That is its genuine root, not a modern guess.

More name meaningsSusannaJoannaSimeon (of the temple)Christopher All name meanings
Enter Living Breadprayer, Scripture, a family near you