Given name & surname
Chana
“having favor and grace”
Chana is a form of Hannah. Hannah’s Hebrew sense expresses being favoured by God, particularly the blessing of a child in its biblical context.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Hebrew use, Chana carries the interpretation “having favor and grace.” Chana is a form of Hannah. Hannah’s Hebrew sense expresses being favoured by God, particularly the blessing of a child in its biblical context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
Chana is used as a form of Hannah. Chana is a form of Hannah. The shared background comes through Hannah: Hannah preserves the Hebrew biblical form Hanna, whose meaning expresses favour from God.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1944. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Chana is a form of Hannah. The history of Hannah gives this family its wider story. In the biblical narrative, Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel. English Puritans adopted this form in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, alongside its continuing use as a Jewish name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Chana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,921
- 0 boys · 13,921 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 432 babies
- 2025
- 413
- #686 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +10%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 413 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 686 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (222). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,939 as a first name in 2020; 378 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Chana’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Chana is a diminutive of Susana. Chana is a form of Hannah. In Spanish usage, Chana is a diminutive of Roxana.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Chana has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Susanafull form · Spanish
- Roxanafull form · Spanish
- Chanahvariant · German
- Channahvariant
- Channavariant
- Chanachvariant
- Chaanahvariant
- Chaanachvariant
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Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Chana
- Chana OrloffUkrainian-born French and Israeli sculptor (1888–1968)
- Chana MassonBrazilian handball playerborn 1978
- Chana KatanAmerican-born Israeli physician and author (b.1958)
- Chana KowalskaPolish painter (1899-1942)
- Chana PorpaoinThai boxerborn 1966
- Chana SafraiIsraeli philosopher (1946-2008)
- Chana EdenIsraeli-American actress (1932-2019)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Chana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Adalia
>99% girls
Josie
“God will add” · “God shall add”
>99% girls
Delilah
“she who weakened”
>99% girls
Anaiah
“Yah has answered” · “afflicted of Yah”
>99% girls
Joie
“God shall add” · “God will add”
>99% girls
Chiyena
“blessed with the Lord's grace”
>99% girls
Aiah
“falcon”
>99% girls
Elah
“terebinth”
>99% girls