NameCensus.

UK surname

Anna

A Hebrew surname meaning "grace".

In the 1881 census there were 1 people recorded with the Anna surname, ranking it #34,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 227, ranked #17,992, up from #34,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, Cheshire East and Gloucester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anna is 227 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22600.0%.

1881 census count

1

Ranked #34,027

Modern count

227

2016, ranked #17,992

Peak year

2016

227 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Anna had 1 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #34,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 227 in 2016, ranked #17,992.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 37 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Anna surname distribution map

The map shows where the Anna surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Anna surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Anna over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 33 #27,390
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 1 #34,027
1891 historical 29 #31,963
1901 historical 7 #33,435
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 19 #35,928
1998 modern 8 #37,334
1999 modern 13 #36,693
2000 modern 17 #36,207
2001 modern 15 #36,265
2002 modern 18 #36,067
2003 modern 26 #35,371
2004 modern 31 #35,105
2005 modern 43 #34,328
2006 modern 72 #32,059
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 203 #19,504
2015 modern 216 #18,600
2016 modern 227 #17,992

Geography

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Where Annas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southwark, Cheshire East, Gloucester, Camden and Haringey. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southwark 006 Southwark
2 Cheshire East 043 Cheshire East
3 Gloucester 002 Gloucester
4 Camden 014 Camden
5 Haringey 006 Haringey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Anna

These lists show first names that appear often with the Anna surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Anna

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Anna, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Anna surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Anna household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Anna is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Anna is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Anna falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Anna is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Anna, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Anna

Anna is a surname of Russian and Ukrainian origin, derived from the Hebrew given name Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favor." In Russia and Ukraine, the name Anna became a common patronymic surname, formed by adding the possessive suffix "-a" to the father's name.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Anna can be found in medieval Russian and Ukrainian documents, dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is Ivan Annin, a nobleman mentioned in the Veliky Novgorod Chronicles in the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Anna was particularly prevalent in the regions of Novgorod and Pskov, which were part of the Novgorod Republic and later incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The name can be found in various church records and census documents from that period.

In the 18th century, the surname Anna gained prominence among the Russian nobility and gentry. One notable figure was Fyodor Petrovich Anna, a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to France during the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796).

Another significant bearer of the surname was Mikhail Sergeyevich Anna (1835-1899), a Russian writer and translator known for his translations of works by Charles Dickens and William Thackeray. He was also a prominent figure in the Russian literary circles of the 19th century.

In the 20th century, the surname Anna was carried by several notable individuals, including:

1. Nikolai Nikolayevich Anna (1896-1964), a Soviet military commander who played a significant role in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. 2. Yuri Mikhailovich Anna (1919-1989), a Soviet actor and director, known for his roles in several classic Russian films. 3. Tatyana Ivanovna Anna (1924-2001), a Soviet and Russian writer and poet, who wrote extensively about the struggles of the Russian people during World War II. 4. Valery Sergeevich Anna (born 1935), a Russian physicist and academic, known for his contributions to the field of low-temperature physics. 5. Yevgeny Viktorovich Anna (born 1967), a Russian businessman and billionaire, who co-founded the software company Acronis.

While the surname Anna has its roots in Russia and Ukraine, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, the historical significance and origins of the name remain deeply rooted in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Anna families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anna surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 1 Annas recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1 8.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 1 Annas recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.93x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 1 144.93x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Anna surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Anna surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Philip 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Anna households.

FAQ

Anna surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anna surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1 people were recorded with the Anna surname. That placed it at #34,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anna surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 227 in 2016. That gives Anna a modern rank of #17,992.

What does the Anna surname mean?

A Hebrew surname meaning "grace".

What does the Anna map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Anna bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.