Alternatives to Hannah

Leandra

Feminine variation of Leander, Greek

"lion-man"

With the rise of many once-dated leonine names, from Leona to Lionel to Leonora, Leandra is an unusual choice that might be looking at a comeback..

Aine

Irish

"brightness, splendor"

More commonly seen here as Anya, this traditional yet unique Irish name belonged to the queen of the Munster fairies and is sprinkled throughout Irish folklore as an early Celtic goddess of summer…

Harlan

Harlan as a feminine name represents an interesting gender crossover, as it traditionally began as a masculine name of English origin meaning 'rocky land' or 'army land.' Derived from Old English…

Dinah

Hebrew

"God will judge"

Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…

Sanna

Swedish, Finnish, Inuktitut

"lily"

If you're ready to move beyond Anna and Hannah, consider this traditional Scandinavian short form of Susanna, historically very popular in its native lands. Sanna is also a modern Inuktitut form of…

Hannelore

German

"grace + god is my light"

A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both…

Anning

English, Germanic

"grace, favor"

Notably borne by the 19th century palaeontologist and fossil collector, Mary Anning, this surname likely derives from the given name Hanno or Hana, ultimately linking it back to the Biblical Hanan…

Aniana

Feminine form of Aniano or Anianus, Spanish, Roman

"grace; Yahweh is gracious"

With a zippy, lively sound, Aniana is a rare Spanish name and a feminine form of Aniano, itself a variant of the late Roman name Anianus (or Annianus), borne by several popes, writers, deacons, and…