Anno

Anno is a word with several distinct uses in language, history, and popular culture. In Latin, anno means "year" and appears in calendrical phrases such as anno Domini ("in the year of our Lord"), and in scholarly dating to indicate the year of an event. The form survives in historical texts and in modern references to years and dating.

As a proper name, Anno occurs as a medieval given name and surname. Anno II, an Archbishop of Cologne in the 11th century, is an example of the given-name usage. In modern Japan, Anno is found as a surname; Hideaki Anno is a prominent filmmaker and animator known for Neon Genesis Evangelion.

In contemporary media, Anno is the title of a long-running series of city-building strategy games. Developed initially by Blue Byte and later by Ubisoft, the Anno series began with Anno 1602 (1998) and has continued with titles such as Anno 1404, Anno 1800, and Anno 2205. The games emphasize economic management, urban development, and resource production within historically inspired or speculative settings.

Outside these contexts, anno appears in academic and historical writing as the Latin root for years, often in phrases such as Anno Mundi or Anno Domini. Overall, Anno is a multifaceted term with historical, cultural, and entertainment relevance.