indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine & Masculine
Usage Spanish (Latin American), English
Meaning & History
From a contraction of the surname Santa Anna meaning "Saint Anne", derived from Spanish santa "saint" combined with Anna, the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary (see also Santana). A famous bearer of the surname was the Mexican generalissimo Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876), commonly known as Santa Anna or Santanna, who commanded the Mexican forces during the Texas Revolution (including at the Battle of the Alamo) and ruled Mexico as a dictator in the 19th century. It is used as a personal name despite or because of him.