Hanna — Name Day, Meaning & Origin

Female Polish given name · 3916 births in 2024 (rank 5)

A biblical female name meaning "grace", prized for its warm, simple sound.

Pronunciation

/ˈxan.na/ · HAHN-nah

Meaning

Hanna derives from the Hebrew name Channah and means "grace, favour, charm". In the Polish tradition it is also felt to be akin or parallel to the name Anna, with which it shares a common biblical root.

Origin & history

The name has a biblical pedigree — Channah was the mother of the prophet Samuel, known for her fervent prayer. From Hebrew, through Greek and Latin, it spread across Europe as Anna and its variants. The form Hanna is valued in Poland for its simplicity and warm sound, and in recent years it has clearly gained in popularity.

Etymology

The source is the Hebrew חַנָּה (Channah) from the root chanan — "to show favour, to be gracious"; the same root underlies the name Anna.

Declension (Polish cases)

Nominative	Hanna
Genitive	Hanny
Dative	Hannie
Accusative	Hannę
Instrumental	Hanną
Locative	Hannie
Vocative	Hanno

Name day (imieniny)

In Poland, Hanna celebrates its name day on 26 July, 9 December.

Diminutives

Hania, Haneczka, Hanka, Hanusia, Haśka.

Forms in other languages

Related forms in other languages include Anna and Hannah (English, German, Scandinavian), Anne (French, English) and Ganna or Hanna in the East Slavic languages.

Notable people named Hanna

Hanna Krall — Eminent Polish reporter and writer, author of "To Outwit God".

Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz — Polish lawyer, former head of the National Bank and mayor of Warsaw.

Hanna Bakuła — Polish painter, writer and media personality.

Popularity

In recent years Hanna has been among the most frequently given names for baby girls in Poland.