There are two prominent women named Anne (or Hannah, which is the Hebrew form of the name and is often translated as Anne in other languages) in the Bible:
* Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel: She is a major figure in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 1-2). She was one of the two wives of Elkanah. Hannah was barren, which caused her great distress in that society. She prayed fervently to God in the temple at Shiloh, promising that if God granted her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's service. God answered her prayer, and she gave birth to Samuel. After Samuel was weaned, she brought him to the temple to live and serve under the priest Eli. Hannah's story is important because it illustrates the power of prayer, faith, and dedication to God. Her prayer of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2:1-10), often called the "Magnificat of the Old Testament," is a beautiful expression of praise and anticipates some of the themes found in Mary's Magnificat in the New Testament.
* Anne, the mother of Mary (Jesus' mother): She is not mentioned in the Bible itself. The information about Anne as Mary's mother comes from non-biblical sources. The earliest known mention of St. Anne and St. Joachim (Mary's father) is in the apocryphal Gospel of James (also known as the Protoevangelium of James), which dates from the 2nd century AD. Tradition holds that Anne and Joachim were a devout but elderly and childless couple. Through divine intervention, they conceived and gave birth to Mary. Because she is not in the Bible, her historicity is debated. She is revered in Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
So, to summarize:
* Hannah/Anne (Old Testament): The mother of the prophet Samuel, whose story is found in the books of Samuel.
* Anne (non-biblical): The traditional name for the mother of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her story comes from non-biblical sources.