Anya

The name Anya is a girl's name of Russian origin meaning "grace". Anya is a Russian variation of Anna, which came from the Hebrew name Hannah. Anya is the form found most frequently in Russia, Poland and other East European countries, while Anja is the spelling usually preferred in Germany Norway, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands. In the Hungarian language, Anya also means mother. Anya is an exotic Russian version that succeeds in making Ann dynamic. It is often used as a character name with a bit of foreign flair. Aside from its authentic use in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Anya has appeared as Audrey Hepburn's name in Roman Holiday, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and as the latest Spider-Girl, who is also known as Arana. In literature, Anya Seton is the pen name of Ann Seton, author of such best-selling mid-century historical novels as Dragonwyck.