National Annie Day – January 19, 2025

History of National Annie Day

While it seems like a British-American name, ‘Annie’ originated from the Hebrew language. It’s a diminutive form of the English name ‘Anna,’ which in Hebrew means ‘gracious one.’ The popularity of the name ‘Annie’ didn’t hit the cultural zeitgeist until the 19th century. Famous public figures named ‘Annie’ that were born during this era included physician Annie Alexander, American journalist Annie Barnes, poet Annie Hawks, astronomer Annie Cannon, women’s rights activist Annie Besant, and Norwegian missionary Annie Bernstein also called ‘Sister Annie.’

From the 1880s to 1907, ‘Annie’ was considered in the top 20 names for babies. By the 1910s, the name grew increasingly popular, hitting the top 10 baby names in the United States. The name peaked in 1922 when approximately 7,461 babies were named ‘Annie.’

In the next few decades, several Hollywood actresses named ‘Annie’ emerged into the picture. These include Annie Potts, Annie Parisse, and Annie Wersching. But its prominence slowly dropped down, hitting rock bottom in 1972 with only 320 babies named ‘Annie.’

However, it slowly peaked in popularity when the musical “Annie” was released in 1977 based on the 1924 comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” The Broadway original starred Andrea McArdle as Annie, and the show proved to be a hit. But it wasn’t until 1982 when the musical was adapted into a feature film that the name once again gained popularity. Approximately 992 babies were named ‘Annie’ that year, the highest in almost 20 years.