What Does the Name Anya Mean?

Anya is a girl's name of Russian origin meaning “"grace, favour".”

Updated June 2026

Name	Anya
Gender	female
Origin	Russian
Meaning	"grace, favour"
Variants	Anna, Ania, Anja, Aniya
Popularity	Widely used in Russia and Eastern Europe as a familiar form of Anna, and increasingly popular as a standalone name in English-speaking countries.

The meaning and origin of Anya

The name Anya means “"grace, favour"” and has Russian origins. A Russian diminutive of Anna, which ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Hannah (חַנָּה) meaning "grace, favour." It is used as an affectionate or independent given name across Slavic countries and beyond.

Variants and related names

Anya is related to several other names you may recognize: Anna, Ania, Anja, Aniya. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Anya?

Widely used in Russia and Eastern Europe as a familiar form of Anna, and increasingly popular as a standalone name in English-speaking countries.

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