Etymology

Proper noun

1. The mother of Virgin Mary in apocryphal gospels ( also Anne and Anna).
2. , popular since fourteenth century; today a very common middle name.

Quotations

• 1903 George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman: Act I:

  RAMSDEN. When you say Ann, you mean, I presume, Miss Whitefield.

  TANNER. I mean our Ann, your Ann, Tavy's Ann, and now, Heaven help me, my Ann.

• 1969 Constance Urdang, Natural History, Harper&Row 1969, page 61:

  Given a perfectly good American name like Ann, she has deliberately chosen to label herself "Anya" after a long-dead great-grandmother, and put jam in her tea.

• 2005 Mary Monroe, In Sheep's Clothing, Dafina Books, ISBN 0758203446, page 129:

  "Her full name is Annie Lou. Like calling herself a snooty white girl name like Ann makes up for it."

  "Must I remind you that Ann is also my middle name?"

Related terms

• Anita, Anna, Anne, Annette, Annie, Annika, Anya, Nan, Nance, Nancy, Nannie, Nanny