Hanna is a name of Hebrew origin, derived from the word "Channah," which means "grace" or "favor." In the Bible, Hannah was the mother of Samuel and the wife of Elkanah. She is remembered as a woman of great faith who prayed fervently for a child despite her infertility.
The name Hanna has been popular throughout history and across different cultures. It was a common name among Jews during biblical times and continues to be popular in Jewish communities today. In Scandinavia, Hanna is also a well-known name, often used alongside variations such as Hannah or Hanne. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Hanna is sometimes associated with the character Hannele from German folklore.
Hanna has several notable figures throughout history who have borne this name. One of the most famous is Hannah Arendt, a prominent political theorist and philosopher who fled Nazi Germany during World War II and later became an influential figure in American intellectual life. Other notable individuals named Hanna include Hanna Rosin, an American journalist and author; Hanna Schygulla, a German actress; and Hanna Reitsch, a German test pilot during World War II.
In terms of its popularity as a given name, Hanna has experienced peaks and valleys over the centuries. It was particularly popular in the United States during the late 19th century but fell out of favor in the mid-20th century. However, it began to regain popularity in the 1980s and continues to be a common choice for parents today.
Overall, Hanna is a name with deep roots in history and culture, carrying with it a meaning that signifies grace or favor. It has been borne by many notable individuals throughout the centuries and remains a popular choice among parents today.
The name Hanna has been given to a total of 132 baby girls in the United States over a span of thirty-five years, from 1981 to 2017. The annual number of births with this name varied over time, with peaks and troughs.
In the early years, Hanna was not very popular, with only 7 births recorded in both 1981 and 1988. However, it started to gain traction in the mid-1980s, with 9 births in 1985 and 8 births in 1986. This trend continued into the early 1990s, with another peak of 11 births in 1995.
After a brief decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hanna's popularity rose again, reaching its highest point in recent years with 15 births recorded in 2004. Since then, it has maintained a consistent presence on the baby name charts, with an average of about 7 births per year between 2013 and 2017.
These statistics show that while Hanna may not have been one of the most popular names throughout these decades, it has consistently been given to enough baby girls each year to maintain a steady presence among American girl names.