Ana, a variant of Anna and relative of Hannah, is derived from the Hebrew root hanan, meaning "to be gracious" or "to be favored." In the Old Testament, Hannah was the mother of Samuel, while Anna was a prophetess. Ana started gaining popularity in the United States in the 1950s and debuted inside the Social Security Administration's top 200 in 1980. It remained inside the top 200 until 2011, but hasn't returned to that status since. Spanish actress Ana Obregón gave birth to a daughter named Ana Sandra Lequio in 2023.
