&#;annā ḥnn = “favor,” “grace” The Hebrew feminine name Hannah derives from the Semitic root ḥ-n-n (“to be gracious”). The name is usually interpreted as meaning “gracious” or “one who favors.” As a distinctly Hebrew name attested from the biblical period to late antiquity and beyond, it typically identifies its bearer as Jewish in ancient texts. In Greek and Latin sources, however, this is less certain, since its transliteration is reminiscent of the Latin female name Annia (from Annius). In the Hebrew Bible, Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1–2) and she is identified in the […]
