Hannah
Say it: HAN-a/ˈhænə/
GirlMeans grace, favour6 letters2 syllables
#21
in Ireland (2025)
168
babies in 2025
#5
best rank (2019)
11,093
babies since 1964
Down 9
10-year rank change
Hannah through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 168 | #21 |
| 2024 | 179 | #21 |
| 2023 | 226 | #12 |
| 2022 | 248 | #13 |
| 2021 | 238 | #13 |
| 2020 | 265 | #7 |
| 2019 | 321 | #5 |
| 2018 | 304 | #11 |
| 2017 | 338 | #7 |
| 2016 | 351 | #9 |
| 2015 | 338 | #12 |
| 2014 | 337 | #13 |
| 2013 | 340 | #14 |
| 2012 | 368 | #13 |
| 2011 | 349 | #17 |
| 2010 | 333 | #22 |
| 2009 | 321 | #23 |
| 2008 | 390 | #15 |
| 2007 | 407 | #13 |
| 2006 | 357 | #16 |
| 2005 | 350 | #16 |
| 2004 | 340 | #16 |
| 2003 | 340 | #13 |
| 2002 | 368 | #12 |
| 2001 | 343 | #15 |
| 2000 | 299 | #15 |
| 1999 | 242 | #21 |
| 1998 | 236 | #18 |
| 1997 | 269 | #22 |
| 1996 | 251 | #21 |
| 1995 | 230 | #24 |
| 1994 | 182 | #29 |
| 1993 | 196 | #27 |
| 1992 | 145 | #43 |
| 1991 | 115 | #56 |
| 1990 | 109 | #60 |
| 1989 | 74 | #93 |
| 1988 | 62 | #106 |
| 1987 | 51 | #119 |
| 1986 | 36 | #155 |
| 1985 | 36 | #155 |
| 1984 | 36 | #163 |
| 1983 | 26 | #195 |
| 1982 | 16 | #265 |
| 1981 | 15 | #263 |
| 1980 | 13 | #293 |
| 1979 | 14 | #286 |
| 1978 | 24 | #217 |
| 1977 | 26 | #200 |
| 1976 | 26 | #204 |
| 1975 | 19 | #221 |
| 1974 | 21 | #220 |
| 1973 | 21 | #223 |
| 1972 | 15 | #237 |
| 1971 | 32 | #174 |
| 1970 | 27 | #175 |
| 1969 | 37 | #154 |
| 1968 | 44 | #125 |
| 1967 | 52 | #114 |
| 1966 | 61 | #104 |
| 1965 | 49 | #119 |
| 1964 | 67 | #91 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Hannah mean?
Grace, favour
Hebrew, from Ḥannāh, built on a root meaning favour or grace.
Say it right
HANa
The story of Hannah
Hannah comes from the Hebrew Ḥannāh, from a root meaning “favour” or “grace”. In the Hebrew Bible, Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel. Anna, Anne and Ann all grew out of the same name, through its Greek and Latin forms.
In Ireland the name is linked with Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington, the suffragist who campaigned for votes for women in the early twentieth century.
Hannah was already in use when the CSO records begin, but it stayed a modest choice until the late 1980s. It climbed quickly through the 1990s, and 407 girls were named Hannah in 2007, its busiest year. It reached number 5 in 2019, its best rank. Northern Ireland took to it sooner: its best rank there was 6th, in 1998. In 2025 it stood at number 21 in the Republic.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Hannah (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Hannah (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland, full name list 1997-2025
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Hannah | 168 | 11,093 |
In Northern Ireland
#42 in 2025 with 43 babies. Best rank #6 (1998); 3,778 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.