The Baby Name Wizard

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Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Hannah!

Comments and insights on the name Hannah: | Edit

Biblical: Hannah was the mother of the OT prophet Samuel.
This name is a palindrome.
Currently #8 in popularity in the states, according to SSA list.

Personal experiences with the name Hannah: | Edit

My daughter Hannah was born in 1999. At the time, I didn't know of anyone who had named their daughter Hannah and it's only been in recent years that I've discovered that it has become quite popular. That being said, we've not met many Hannah's here in Ontario. I really love her name and so does she. She has a few nicknames, the ever popular Hannah Banana and also Bam Bam, which is unique to her I think and it came from Han Ban which she also gets from time to time. She's a red head and has an older sister named Madeleine. She'll also have her named misspelled without the last H from time to time but it's nothing like what her sister goes through with people trying to spell or even pronounce her name!! Oh, Hannah's middle name is Siobhan which we love too.

This is my daughter's (born 2006)name. I find that we don't run into many Hannah's in the 2 and under set, but that there are gobs of girls 5-10 years older than her with the name. Based on this, I think Hannah's star is beginning to fade a little bit. Overall, the name has worked for us. My only negative experience with this name is that it is misspelled (no H at the end) surprisingly often for such a common name.

As a Hannah, I like my name, I just don't like how boring it is. Sure, it's pretty, but it's kind of bland. I don't have too many problems, except for having it misspelled without the H at end, and whenever people don't hear me correctly whenever I introduce myself and think I say Anna.

I think the popularity of the name is regional and by regional I am refering to the regions of the United States and also the regions within each large state. I named my daughter Hannah in 2003, when according to statistics the name was on the rise. However, I live in the NY Metro area and have only bumped into 1 or 2 Hannahs a year. I am also an elementary school teacher and I have yet to have a Hannah attend school in my building these past 5 years. However, the name is much more popular in Upstate NY. All I know is that I am extremely happy with the name and have never had any regrets because it suits my daugher perfectly...now if I can only find the perfect name for the little girl I'm carrying :)

I am a Hannah born in the late 1970s (when the name rank was #452)so I never meet anyone my age with the name..but I am always startled by moms yelling at their little Hannahs nearby.

Nicknames for Hannah: | Edit

Our Hannah's nicknames are Bam Bam (evolved from Han Ban) which is, I think, unique to her and she also gets Hannah Banana from time to time.

This name does not lend itself to nicknames. However, a lot of people add a word that rhymes to the end of it. My daughter mostly gets Hannah Banana, but has also been referred to as Hannah Cabana and Hanza Bonanza.

I sometimes shorten to Han, but I wouldn't really consider this a nickname. We call my daughter "The Hanster" a lot, but I think that's pretty specific to our family!

I have noticed on Jon & Kate Plus 8, they often call their daughter Hannah, Hannie.

I have known Hanja, Han and Hanny.

We had tons of cute nicknames for Hannah but as she gets older we stick to our favorite, Hannie.... or Han.

My daughter got the very common "Hannah Banana". At home, it's been shorted to "HannahBee". She also gets called Hannakin Skywalker, Hannah Pyjama, Hannarita and Hannah-bo-banna.

My sister Hannah gets heaps of nicknames - Hann, Hannah Banana, Hanster, Hanny Banany, Hannalyce/Hannalycie (a combination of Hannah and her middle name, Alyce), Hannah Nanna, and Hannah-head shark (although I think that's speciafic to our family).

My name is Hannah and I get Hanny (my personal favorite), Han, Hannah Banana, Hey-nah, Hanana, Han-O-Meter

I am also named Hannah. I get called Hanners, Hannah Montana, Hannie, and of course the ever popular Hannah Banana...

My daughter's friends call her Hoonz, and my older daughter calls her Hannie (or is it Hanny)

I was called Hannah Barbarian in school (after Hanna-Barbera cartoons..I'm old)..it kind of stuck. Oh, and I am from Montana, which is funny now.

I am called the famous Hannah Banana, along with Hanners and Hannah Bean.

I call my sister, Hannah, Nabee(pronounced as nab-bay), though I'm not so sure where it came from...

Meanings and history of the name Hannah: | Edit

This name is Hebrew and means "grace" or "grace of God". I once saw a website that listed the meaning as "God has blessed me with a son", but have never seen that one anywhere else. It makes sense considering the Biblical story, though.

Famous real-life people named Hannah: | Edit

Hannah Arendt, German-Jewish political theorist
Hannah Gordon, Scottish actress
Hannah Spearritt, singer/actress
Hannah Waterman, actress
Hannah Taylor-Gordon, actress
Hanna Schygulla, actress
Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington (1877–1946), Irish feminist
Hannah More (1745–1833), English religious writer and philanthropist
Hannah Ayscough (1623–1679), mother of Sir Isaac Newton
Hannah Callowhill Penn (1671–1727), second wife of William Penn
Hannah Chaplin (1865–1928), mother of Charlie Chaplin
Hannah Cornett (born 1980), American model and actress
Hannah Cowley (1743–1809), American dramatist and poet
Hannah Hoes van Buren, First Lady and wife of Martin van Buren
Hannah Storm (born 1962), American TV presenter
Hannah Webster Foster (1758–1840), American novelist

Hannah in song, story & screen: | Edit

"Hard-Hearted Hannah, the Vamp of Savannah", popular song of the 1940s.
"Hannah Montana" is a very popular television show on the Disney Channel.
"Hannah and Her Sisters," Woody Allen film
Hannah is a Palindrome, children's book
Hannah Abbott, character in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Hannah Ashworth, character portrayed by Emma Rigby on the English soap opera Hollyoaks
Hannah Martin, character portrayed by Rebecca Ritters on the Australian soap opera Neighbours