Hannah
An English and Scottish surname that can come from the female forename Hannah, or less often from a related place or older family name.
The #1,779 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,331 Americans shares it.
Etymology
As a surname, Hannah most commonly points back to the female given name Hannah, from Hebrew Ḥannah, meaning "grace" or "favor." In English and Scottish usage it could also function as a matronymic, formed from a mother’s or ancestral female name rather than a father’s. Older surname reference works also note possible confusion with or influence from similar-looking names such as Hannay.
History
In Britain, Hannah is mainly found as a surname derived from the familiar Christian name, which became common after the biblical name entered Christian use. The name also overlaps with Scottish surname traditions, where similar forms such as Hannay and related spellings appear in older records. In modern times it is especially well known as a given name as well as a surname, and in the US it appears as a moderately uncommon family name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Hannah was a common female given name, this surname is one of the clearer examples of a matronymic English surname.
From the historical record
“HANNAH, See Female Christian Names. HANNAY. Anciently Aharmay or Hannay, of Sorbie, in Wigtonshire. A Gilbert de Anneth or Hannethe is found in Rag-man Roll, A.D. 1296. Nisbet's Heraldry. HANNEY. A parish in Berkshire. HANNINGTON. Parishes in cos. Hants, Northampton, and Wilts.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Hannah
- Daryl Hannah (b. 1960)
- John Hannah (b. 1962)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.