Hannah

Hannah is a traditionally feminine name meaning "gracious," "merciful," "one who gives," or "favored by god." Names with similar meanings include Amla, Aniya, Janey, Mersades, Nena, Reda, Rashona, and Takisha, as well as Hannah's many variations such as Hanna, Hana, Hanneke, and Johanna. Hannah is also related to the name Anne and its variants, such as Anna, Nancy, Anya, Annika, and Annabel. The name Hannah has roots in Hebrew and the Bible; Hannah was the mother of Samuel, the prophet, in the Old Testament.

Famous Hannahs include Hannah Arendt, Hannah Jeter, Hannah Simone, Hannah Murray, Hannah Storm, Hannah Graaf, Hannah Spearritt, Hannah Teter, and Hannah Hart. Actor Dakota Fanning's name is actually Hannah Dakota Fanning. 'Hannah and Her Sisters' is a famous film by Woody Allen, the TV show 'Hannah Montana' was Miley Cyrus' breakout role, and Hannah Horvath is Lena Dunham's (in)famous character on the HBO series 'Girls.'

Popularity-wise, Hannah was a favorite up until the late 1880s when it began a sharp decline. The 1950s and '60s saw Hannah's least popular years ever, but by the early '70s it was skyrocketing, and it hit the top 10 names for girls in the U.S. in 1997 — and stayed there straight until 2007. By 2017 it had dropped to #32 but that's still quite popular, considering.

Hannah in quotes:

"Elkanah, her husband, said to her, 'Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?'" — Samuel 1:8

"Action without a name, a who attached to it, is meaningless." — Hannah Arendt