Although I thought it was a little obscure when we thought of it a few weeks ago, I'm starting to see a lot of inquiries about it, and I wonder if it's going to be an up-and-coming name. It is so strong and feminine, and I have heard it mentioned as an alternative to
Alexandria.
By the way, I pronounce it Anna-STAY-Shah/Juh. I asked my Russian coworker, and in Russian, it is pronounced Ah-Nah-Stah-SEE-a.
I think it is fabulous in every pronounciation, and I love the nicknames. For us, we would probably use the nickname
Ana, to honor a family member.