Hanna

Hanna is the mainly German, Scandinavian and Slavic form of Hannah. Hannah is an ancient Biblical name, first appearing 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), 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 as an act of modesty and humility. The spelling of Hanna (without the second “h” on the end) is most common among Northern and Eastern Europeans. For instance, Hanna is the #1 female name in Hungary right now and #3 in Germany. It’s also a Top 50 in Poland, Norway and Sweden.