Ann

A bit plain, but classic and good for a middle name or a double-barrelled name.

I very much prefer Anna out of all the versions of this name. Ann feels super short, incomplete, and dull. Not a fan of Anne either, but even that’s better than Ann. Anne can be a cute nickname for Anna though.

Timeless, classic, good sound and good meaning. I'd use this in combo with another name to make one first name (ie: Jane Ann, Mary Ann, Abigail Ann etc.)

Very plain and looks incomplete. I don't understand why this used to be one of the most popular names.

Ann is truly a gorgeous looking and sounding name. If I ever have a daughter, she will be named Ann, I just don't know if it would be in the first place or second. My grandmother's name was Annie, as was my great grandmother, and my great great grandmother. My grandmother also named her daughter Annie, and my grandmother was named after her grandmother who was named Ann. It has a long, rich history for some special women in my family.

Sweet middle name.

It doesn't sound like Anne to my ears.

Sounds incomplete for me. Anne is better.

Beautiful, classic, not-very-common name! I've only met one Ann in my whole life!

My name is Ann and my middle name is Rebecca and whenever I fill out a form that requires the middle name they always switch it around lol. I love my name without an E. I am older and in school we would often have several Anns in the class. Why is it boring? What does that even mean? These days it does stand out in its elegant simplicity. It’s non-pretentious and has a lovely sound and rings out when people say it. Also the guys at a Starbucks or food truck or waiting list or anything where they write down your name think it’s awesome as it’s easy to spell and pronounce. I don’t care if they misspell it with an E but I like it better without. If you don’t like it, that’s fine but what’s with “hating” it?

This is a family name so I would use this spelling over Anne but both are cute.

Oh my god! WHY do mothers ruin amazing first names with the middle name Ann? I also despise it as a first name as well as a middle name! Dear moms, just use GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL, Anne, instead of Ann.

I changed my mind, this is okay, but I still think Annie or Anne is better.

Much prettier than Anne!

Well, I think Anna looks more complete, however, Ann is also not bad, but Anna feels better. Classic name, but nothing much interesting about it.

I love the simplicity and timeless style of Ann. It is my mother's middle name and therefore will always have a special place in my heart.

It’s pretty, but I prefer Anne as it looks more complete.

I prefer Anne with an e. Also, Annie is a good nickname.

Ann is a classic name with much beauty and strength. It is also an underused classic. I think many new parents will come to appreciate its rarity when looking for a beautifully simple classic name. It just barely makes the top 1000 most used girls names in the United States. My first name is Ann and I have always been very proud of it. I am in my early 30s now and it is very rare to meet someone my age or younger with this name. I was surprised to see so many negative comments about a name that is such a timeless choice... I just had to add my positive perspective in case the negative remarks drive away people from considering it for their baby. If my name wasn't already Ann I would name my daughter Ann:)

Ann= i n c o m p l e t e

---

I prefer Anne :)

I still think Ann isn't that pretty and sounds too old-fashioned, but this could be a nice middle name.

I don’t like it. Anne is a little better. It’s so plain and boring and reminds me of an old lady. It’s WAY better as a middle name.

Too simple. At least use Anne.

My name is Ann, and I absolutely hate it! Whenever I go to the doctor or really anywhere (since I am too young to go by myself) people think that my mom is the one who is named Ann. This name is very dated, and people will always assume that you are older than you are. It’s bland and boring, and the spelling “Ann” just looks incomplete. It leaves no room for nicknames since it is already so short. If you plan on naming your daughter Ann, I encourage you to be more creative. There are many names including Annabelle, Annalise, Anna, Annika, that have the possibility to be shortened to Ann. At the very least, consider spelling it as Anne.

Not very pretty and makes me think of an old lady. I prefer Anna.

I prefer Anna or Anne.

Ann is my mom's name. Though her friends call her Anny. I like it.

Beautiful name, there have been no fewer than four Annies in my family, to include my grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother along with an aunt. Due to such a rich familial heritage, I plan to name my daughter Ann, as a first name, should I ever have one.

Kind of boring.

I think Ann is a short and pretty name.

I am starting to like Ann. This spelling looks nice to me, very simple and sweet and hard to shorten except to Annie, which is already longer than the name is and Nancy which people associate more as a regular name because it has enough usage as a first name so that people recognize it as one. I would bet that a little girl named Ann would be called Annie before Nancy though. Anne looks more Biblical though because that is the original spelling, then Ann in my opinion.

I'm named after my grandmother who spells her name as Anne and to distinguish both of us, I was called by my middle name Marie which I felt was just as boring. As I have gotten older, I appreciate the simplicity of it because I can't pronounce or spell the new crazy names they have these days. I don't understand why some people have taken unique to the level they have.

---

I agree with the other posts that have mentioned adding the 'e' seems to complete it and often times, when people don't know me, will seem to automatically add the E but it doesn't bother me.

I prefer Anne, but this version is pretty too.

Ugly and ”Plain Jane” I hate the name Anne too. And it reminds me of that stupid, obnoxious, boring show “Anne with an E”.

Even though Ann and Anne are quite common, they aren't really the sort of names that you would actually see in a whole crowd of people.

Ann Coulter is a misogynistic women who would prefer if women can't vote and she has ties with Fox News and anyone who does is generally stupid. Besides, this name is boring. Anna is still boring, but at least Ann Coulter isn't named that.

I really like the spelling of this name as Anne, pronounced Ann not Annie. Pretty and regal.

I love this name. It's my favorite baby name. Ann even looks like a baby when it's written in lowercase:

---

Ann: See the baby's head, arms, and legs? It's a baby crawling to the left with a little hairband on.

At first I hated my name "Ann", (my grandfather wanted Patricia but my father wanted a name that could not be shortened or made into something else, so I got "Ann" without the "E" so I couldn't be called "Annie") I mainly hated it because each time I heard it, I was always in trouble, I felt it had no good to it. But as I got older, things changed, the name became more fitting, then as my husband called or said my name it felt of love. It was a soft, gentle name, then once the grandchildren came along, they heard me being called "Annie" and thought it was "Nanny" so of course that is what stayed. I am proud of my name now, and I like it better without the "E," the "E" to me just makes it look like something is missing, like it is meant to be "Annie" and they forgot the "I"..

I prefer this spelling to Anne, which looks a bit frilly. I probably wouldn't use it, but it's quite nice. Sadly, it is often stuffed into the middle-name-slot.

Beautiful sounding, but Ann Coulter has really damaged this name. If you name your daughter Ann, try adding an -E to the end so that they don't get associated with bigots or anything like that.

I think I like this name better without an E. It's so simple, flowery and feminine. My grandmother's middle name is Ann, and it goes along really well with her first name, Julia.

Nice name but the nickname at the end is kinda weird. But then it would make 'An' which is a word. So...

Ann is very plain but I'd still use it! I think Ann seems short, so I'd spell it Anne, and call her Annie. It also makes a perfectly good middle name.

I hate this form of the name. I like Anne better, but if it's a middle name then 'Ann' is better. Eg, Stephanie Ann is better than Stephanie Anne, same with Elizabeth Ann than Elizabeth Anne. So basically Anne for first name, and Ann for middle name.

My name is Ann Theresa. My first name is short, but I like it very much. I am named after St. Ann, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I think it's a shame more girls today do not share my name.

I like Anne better than Ann and I like Anne with Anne-Marie. I know it's common but it's just so pretty!

Ann is a beautiful name. It is approachable, sweet, stable and sure of herself. It is not mixed up with trying to prove herself to the world, but a girl who will find happiness in anything she tries to accomplish. Ann is goodness. Ann is out in this world on an adventure but not ridden with anxiety and complexity. Ann sets goals, works towards them and doesn't forget to smell the roses along the way. Ann is confident while being liked by all. Ann is not fake and phony and pompous. Ann is real. Ann is someone you'd love to have as a best friend. Ann is pretty. Put an a on the end of Ann and you've got, Anna... sophisticated, alluring and admirable. Both are beautiful.

Beauty, beauty! Ann Frank.

I like the spelling 'Anne' better. The 'e' in the end in my opinion makes the name look more complete and visually appealing.

Too short and boring. Use it as a nickname for Annabelle, Anneliese, etc.

Boring and bland. Heck, it even rhymes with bland!

More to-the-point than frillier Anne.
Not that either name is very "frilly".
They are both boring, minimalist names, but they do have a pretty sound and I don't think they'll ever fall out of favour.

I really hate dull, ubiquitous, uninspiring names like Ann/Anne. However, if English-speakers are going to use the name, I'd prefer they used the English spelling "Ann". It's a touch more patriotic, lol.

This is my middle name. In my opinion, it sounds nice paired with my first name, Destiny. Destiny Ann. Besides my name, I prefer it as a nickname for Anna or Annie, but it's alright on its own, too.

I think this is a simple and sweet name, and works well with so many other names as noted. Sans "e" or with it, it's a darn site better than some of the ridiculous names people come up with for their kids these days. Especially the celebrity set, but don't get me started.

My grandmother and aunt both have this as a middle name. I guess Mom wanted some difference for my middle name while still keeping the tradition, so she tacked on the "e." Not that I mind. Both spellings are perfectly nice.

This name is rather dull.

Several people have brought up "Anne of Green Gables" and that character's stated preference for the "e" spelling. I've always had a fondness for the simpler "Ann" spelling. Some of us like the matter-of-factness of it. The "e" seems like an attempt to dress up an already streamlined, straightforward name. The two spellings DO have different "feels." Ann is peppy, sprightly, high spirited and sassy (think Ann Sheridan, Ann Sothern, Ann Landers). Anne is willowy, sips tea and writes verse (badly). No need for the "e" unless you're French (or pseudo-French).

I really like the name Ann. I don't really think it changes when it has an 'e' at the end. I almost prefer it spelled like this. Sure, it's plain, but it's still really pretty. I especially like the nickname Annie. :)

This is my middle name, and I've always hated it. I agree with slight_night_shiver and the rest of you, it's total filler. Unfortunately, the middle name "Ann" goes back in my family for generations and my mother insists on writing my name as "Colleen Ann" rather than just "Colleen"--even though that's all I go by. Oddly enough, I love the simple beauty in the nearly identical name Anne, to the point where I sometimes find myself squeazing the "E" at the end.
Future parents: If you like the sound, please, for your daughter's sake, add the "E"!

This has to be one of the most boring names out there. I prefer Anne. As one person on Name Nerds pointed out, it's just 'an' with an extra N. Ann's also used as a thoughtless filler middle name.

My middle name is Ann. I think it's pretty, but too plain, I wish it was Annie, Annabell, or Annette, or any other version with more than one syllable. But none-the-less it's a great middle name, because it can compliment almost any first name. :D
As a first name I'd definitely recommend going with a longer version, and letting Ann just be a nickname of it.

People like Ann Coulter and Ann Althouse have totally ruined my associations with this name, but it always struck me as a terribly boring, overly minimalist name. It's horribly overused as a middle name, and it is a clear sign that the parents didn't feel like bothering too much coming up with an innovative middle name, so they used this total filler middle name. I bet many women with this as their first name were unwanted children, and their parents just picked a common name to get it over with.

Ann is my middle name. I really like it. Although I hate my first name Carly, with Ann it makes it more like even, because Carly isn't really a serious name, kinda a little girl name, and Ann is kinda more of a mature name so in the end it is like a balance for names.

It's a very boring name. Ann. Bleh.

The name Ann is simple, yet beautiful and elegant. It has stood the test of time, and every Ann I know is beautiful. Classic and timeless, it has a real beauty in its simplicity. There is Anne Archer, Ann Curry, Anne Hathaway, Ann Margeret, many famous people with this name, young and old. Its nicknames and variations are equally as nice; Annie, Anna, all of which are associated with strength and elegance. I also like the spelling; Ayn.

Too boring and plain for me.

Like Anne of Green Gables, I prefer Anne with an E.

I agree that Ann is a rather plain name, but there are middle names that go well with it. My middle name is Marie (another common middle name) and they go perfectly together. A few people call me Annmarie.

I love this name. I have friend named Ann who has made me love this name. My name is Anna and I think I like Ann better.

Anne of Green Gables is right. Ann does look better with an 'e'. This name is so plain! I mean, Jane and Jill are plain, but at least they look nice! I guess that's because when I was little, Ann was one of those names that they used for story problems in math.

I think the name Ann is beautiful! It's so simple, yet so pretty!

I hate this name with a passion that burns a thousand suns! It is SO boring! This is something that you would name your baby girl if you absolutely hated her! It seems that everyone and their mothers' brothers' ex-wifes' hairdressers' second cousins' wifes' has this as a miidle name.

I love my middle name. It is short, but a traditional name.

Boring! Zzzzzzzzz.

I agree, I like spelling my middle name with an 'E'. It's the prettiest name, even if it is becoming popular as a middle name. :)

Ann is my second middle name of two. It is my maternal grandmother's middle name, and I like it. I sort of prefer it spelled Anne, however. But the name itself is nice. It's sad that it is becoming so common for a middle name.

Ann is a pretty first and middle name, I like it both ways.

Actually, "Elise" would be a good middle name for "Ann": Ann(e) Elise.

Another good middle name with Ann is Carol.

I don't think Ann is a good first name, only because middle names just don't sound right with it.

Personal impression: Anne looks better than Ann... too common, both of them. Urgh.

I like it as a first name. I think it´s kind of pretty.