| Rebecca | Anna | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | To bind, to join | grace, favour |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ruh-BEK-uh | AN-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1981 (16,737) | 1918 (15,666) |
| In 2025 | 872 | 2,521 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rebecca | Anna |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,113 | 17,726 |
| 2010s | 17,488 | 51,326 |
| 2000s | 43,741 | 90,325 |
| 1990s | 109,721 | 78,595 |
| 1980s | 136,248 | 57,327 |
| 1970s | 137,285 | 37,813 |
| 1960s | 99,462 | 40,935 |
| 1950s | 115,690 | 41,701 |
| 1940s | 45,313 | 41,282 |
| 1930s | 12,615 | 66,598 |
| 1920s | 12,281 | 123,895 |
| 1910s | 9,474 | 118,998 |
| 1900s | 4,052 | 54,918 |
| 1890s | 3,660 | 55,261 |
| 1880s | 2,849 | 38,159 |
Rebecca comes from the Hebrew Rivka, of debated meaning — often linked to “to bind” or read as “captivating.” In the Bible she is the wife of Isaac.
The Greek and Latin form of Hebrew 'Channah' (Hannah), meaning grace or favour. Reached most European languages via the Greek New Testament (the prophetess Anna).
Anna is more popular than Rebecca today: about 2,521 US babies were given the name Anna in 2025, compared with 872 named Rebecca.
Rebecca means To bind, to join (Hebrew origin), while Anna means grace, favour (hebrew origin).
In US records, Rebecca first appears in 1880 and Anna in 1880, so Rebecca has the longer recorded history.