Find out how popular the first name Annie has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Annie by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Annie is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Annie being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,477 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Annie.

The history of the first name Annie

The name Annie originated from the Hebrew name Hannah, which means "grace" or "favor." It first appeared in the Old Testament of the Bible, where Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel. The name Hannah was later Latinized to Anna and became popular in early Christianity.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Annie comes from the medieval English ballad "The Nut-Brown Maid," written around the 15th century. The ballad features a character named Annie, who represents a virtuous and loyal woman.

Annie gained widespread popularity in the 19th century, particularly in the United States and United Kingdom. Notable individuals named Annie from this period include Annie Oakley (1860-1926), the famous American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter, and Annie Besant (1847-1933), a British theosophist and women's rights activist.

In literature, one of the most famous Annies is the title character of the classic novel "Little Orphan Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916). The character later inspired the beloved comic strip and Broadway musical of the same name.

Other notable Annies throughout history include Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941), an American astronomer who cataloged hundreds of thousands of stars, and Annie Leibovitz (born 1949), the renowned American portrait photographer known for her work with Rolling Stone magazine and Vanity Fair.

Annie has also been a popular name in various cultures around the world. In Scandinavian countries, it is derived from the Old Norse name Ånna, while in French-speaking regions, it is a diminutive of the name Anne.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Annie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Annie, please contact us.

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