Given name & surname
Sanna
“one who emanates light”·“brilliance; splendor”
Sanna is a variant of Sana. Interpretations include “one who emanates light” and “brilliance; splendor”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Sanna is a variant of Sana. Interpretations include “one who emanates light” and “brilliance; splendor”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Sanna is a variant of Sana. Sana has been associated with Persian and Arabic naming traditions. In Swedish use, Sanna is a diminutive of Susanna. An origin associated with Susanna is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Scandinavian use, Sanna is used as a shortened form of Susanna.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1894. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sanna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 731
- 0 boys · 731 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 21 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #11,757 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +10%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 11,757 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 21 in 2008. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,085 as a first name in 2020; 747 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.
Sanna’s family of names
In German usage, Sanna is a diminutive of Susanne. In Estonian usage, Sanna has a related form in Susanna. In Swedish usage, Sanna is a diminutive of Susanna.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Sanna has relatives in 6 languages.
12 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 13
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Sandraequivalent
- Shannaequivalent
- Sanneequivalent
- ZuzanaCzech
- Sannahequivalent
- ZuzčaCzech
- ZúzaCzech
- ZuziCzech
Show 5 moreShow fewer
People named Sanna
- Sanna MarinPrime Minister of Finland from 2019 to 2023born 1985
- Sanna NielsenSwedish singer and television presenterborn 1984
- Sanna Solberg-IsaksenNorwegian handball playerborn 1990
- Laura VoutilainenFinnish pop singerborn 1975
- Sanna SténFinnish rowerborn 1977
- Sanna GrønlidNorwegian biathleteborn 1959
- Sanna Irshad Mattoophotojournalist based in Jammu and Kashmirborn 1993
- Sanna NyassiGambian footballerborn 1989
- Sanna TalonenFinnish footballerborn 1984
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sanna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sarai
“one who is contentious and argumentative”
>99% girls
Dayana
“resembling a bird of prey”
>99% girls
Danna
“God is my judge”
>99% girls
Siena
“woman with reddish-brown hair”
>99% girls
Savannah
“from the open, grassy plain”
>99% girls
Alana
“one who is precious” · “resembling a little rock”
>99% girls
Anya
“a woman graced with God's favor”
>99% girls
Aniyah
“a woman graced with God's favor”
>99% girls