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Name at a glance

Hannah

Hannah is a Hebrew name usually connected with grace or favor.

Ranked #56 in US baby names in 2025, peaked at #2 in 1998, declining over the past 5 years.

Hannah is remembered as the mother of Samuel, a woman whose prayer, grief, vow, and gratitude form one of the most moving family stories in the Old Testament.

Browse names
OriginHebrew
GenderGirl
FeelPrayerful
PronunciationHAN-uh

Is Hannah biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Hannah is a named person in Scripture, the mother of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel.

Is Hannah a Christian name?

Used by Christians, not distinctively

Christian tradition Christian cultural usage

Hannah is used steadily in Jewish and Christian communities as a familiar biblical name, with related forms Anna and Anne carrying longer church histories.

Plain answer

Hannah is a biblical name from 1 Samuel, used steadily and familiarly by Christian families rather than through a distinct saint or liturgical tradition.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Hannah

Hannah comes from a Hebrew name connected with favor or grace. The meaning fits the biblical story closely because Hannah's life is marked by longing, prayer, and the gift of a child after sorrow.

Biblical story

Hannah in the Bible

Hannah appears at the beginning of 1 Samuel. She is deeply distressed because she has no child, prays at the sanctuary in Shiloh, and later gives birth to Samuel.

Her story is not sentimental. It includes pain, misunderstanding, prayer, promise, and thanksgiving. That gives the name a strong emotional depth for Christian readers.

Sound

How to pronounce Hannah

Phonetic
HAN-uh
IPA
/ˈhænə/

2 syllables · stress: HAN-uh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Hanna
  • Hana
  • Anna
  • Channah

Short forms and nicknames

  • Han
  • Hannie
  • Annie

Languages

Hannah in other languages

Hebrew
חַנָּהChannah
Greek
ἌνναAnnaThe Greek New Testament renders the Hebrew Channah as Anna; the two have one root, and Anna is the more familiar English form descended through Latin.
Latin
Anna
Spanish
Ana
French
Anne
German
Hanna
Italian
Anna
Russian
АннаAnna
Polish
Hanna
Arabic
حَنَّةHanna

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Christians often remember Hannah as an example of honest prayer and faithful gratitude. Her song of praise in 1 Samuel 2 also echoes themes that later Christian readers connect with Mary's song in Luke.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Hannah prays for a son, gives birth to Samuel, and dedicates him to the Lord's service. Her story introduces Samuel, one of the key prophetic figures in Israel's history.

Bearers

Notable people named Hannah

  • biblical

    HannahMother of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel, whose prayer of thanksgiving is echoed later in Mary's Magnificat

  • historical

    Hannah MoreEnglish religious writer, educator, and abolitionist in the Clapham Sect circle, 1745 to 1833

  • historical

    Hannah GlasseEnglish author of The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, one of the most-printed cookbooks of the eighteenth century, 1708 to 1770

  • historical

    Hannah ArendtGerman-born American political theorist, author of The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1906 to 1975

  • modern

    Hannah GadsbyAustralian comedian and writer known for Nanette, born 1978

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Hannah has been used steadily in Jewish and Christian communities. In English it feels biblical, gentle, and familiar, while related forms such as Anna and Anne have long histories in Christian Europe.

Recent US use

Hannah in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#56
Peak rank
#2 in 1998
Recent trend
declining over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Pairings

Names paired with Hannah

  • Samuelmother and son

    Hannah prays for a child in distress at Shiloh and bears Samuel, whom she dedicates to the LORD.

For families

For families looking at Hannah

For a Christian family, Hannah offers a name tied to prayer, grace, motherhood, and faithful response to God. It is familiar without feeling thin.

Common questions

What does Hannah mean?

Hannah is usually connected with grace or favor.

Is Hannah a biblical name?

Yes. Hannah appears in 1 Samuel as the mother of Samuel.

Is Hannah a Christian name?

Yes. Hannah has long been used by Christian families because of its biblical story and meaning.

Sources

Sources for Hannah

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology; meaning 'grace' or 'favor'.
  • The First Book of Samuel, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure; mother of Samuel in 1 Samuel.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

MaryHannah's song of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2:1-10) is the direct structural model for Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55.GraceHannah's Hebrew name (Channah) means 'grace' or 'favor'; Grace is the direct English virtue-name expression of the same meaning.SarahBoth Hannah and Sarah conceived after long barrenness; both stories frame the son who follows (Isaac, Samuel) as a sign of covenant promise.MonicaSaint Monica's 17-year intercessory prayer for her son Augustine echoes the Old Testament Hannah pattern; Augustine himself invokes Hannah in the Confessions when writing about Monica's prayer life.