Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Chana

Chana is another form of Channah which is the ancient (and Biblical) Hebrew form of Hannah. Hannah appears in the Old Testament, in the first Book of Samuel, as the mother of Samuel (one of the most important prophets in Judeo-Christian tradition). In Hebrew Channah means “He (God) has favored me (i.e., with a child)” which makes perfect sense if you are familiar with Hannah’s story in the Bible (1 Samuel 1-2). Unable to bear children “because the Lord closed her womb,” Hannah prayed mightily to the Lord for a son promising to “give him to the Lord all the days of his life.” God hears Hannah’s prayers and “favors” her with a son (Samuel), and hence the meaning of the name. After the child is weaned (about the age of four or five in Biblical times), Hannah does as promised and turns her son over to the priest Eli to raise Samuel in the service of God. It’s a good thing that God listened to the prayers of Hannah because Samuel would go on to become one of Israel’s greatest leaders and usher in the Israel monarchy by anointing its first kings, Saul and then David. Channah or Chana are names rooted in Hebrew tradition, while Hannah is more or less the English version, popularized by the Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries in keeping with their customs of adopting Old Testament names for their children in an act of humility. In the Hebrew tongue, the “ch” consonant of Chana is produced with a guttural sound made deep in the throat similar to the pronunciation of Chanukah and L’Chaim. No such consonant exists in the English language so Chana is often pronounced SHAY-nah.

All About the Baby Name – Chana

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME CHANA

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME CHANA

As an ancient Hebrew transliteration, Chana first achieved a position on the U.S. female naming charts in 1976. In the past almost 40 years Chana has done very little in terms of movement on the graph. The name has basically bounced on and off the charts never achieving a mark higher than #810 on the Top 1000 list. As a primarily Jewish name, Chana is not likely to soar in popularity – its usage is largely restricted to an ethnic/religious group making up roughly 2% of the U.S. population. Many more religiously focused Jewish people opt for the traditional Hebrew Channah or Chana over the Anglicized Hannah providing the name with a little more antique charm and significance.

Quick Facts

ON CHANA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

788

PRONUNCIATION:

KHAH-nah

SIMPLE MEANING:

God has favored me (with a child)

Characteristics

OF CHANA

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Chana

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CHANA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Chana

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CHANA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Chana


Popular Songs

ON CHANA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Chana


Famous People

NAMED CHANA

We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Chana.

Children of Famous People

NAMED CHANA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Chana

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CHANA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Chana