Anja
Girl name · 27 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Anja: 27 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 4 births in 2002.
Anja is a Scandinavian, German, Slavic, and Dutch diminutive of Anna, itself from the Hebrew Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favour." It rose in popularity across northern and central Europe before becoming more widely used in Scotland in recent decades. Famous bearers include Swedish alpine skier Anja Pärson, a multiple Olympic and World Championship medallist, and Polish model and activist Anja Rubik. The name shares its root with places like St Anne's in Cornwall and Santa Ana in California, though no major town is directly named after an Anja. A notable variant is the Russian Anya, which has a similar soft charm. In Scotland, Anja sits just outside the top 100, offering a fresh, melodic alternative to Anna or Hannah while retaining a classic sense of grace.
Girl 8 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 20024 babies
- Latest (2018)
- #6804 babies
- Total births
- 27since 1990
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y