Given name
Susannah
“resembling a graceful white lily”
Susannah is used as a given name. One Hebrew interpretation is “resembling a graceful white lily.”
Original GreekΣουσαννα
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “resembling a graceful white lily.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From the Hebrew noun shushan (שושן), “lily.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Susannah appears in Luke 8:3.
From biblical name research
Susannah through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,784
- 0 boys · 7,784 girls
- Most popular year
- 1975
- 152 babies
- 2025
- 70
- #2,536 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 70 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,536 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 152 in 1975. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,095 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Susannah’s family of names
Susannah has a related form in Susan. Susannah has a related form in Suzanne. Susannah has a related form in Sue.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Susannah has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 43
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Susanvariant
- Susannavariant · English
- Shoshanavariant
- Susievariant
- Susanavariant
- Suzannevariant
- Suzannavariant
- Suzievariant
Show 35 moreShow fewer
- Suzettevariant
- Suzyvariant
- Suevariant
- Suzannahvariant
- Shoshannavariant
- Susannevariant · German
- Susyvariant
- Sookievariant · English
- Shoshanahvariant
- Suzettavariant
- Susavariant
- Suzivariant
- Susivariant
- Suellenvariant
- Sueannevariant
- Susettevariant
- Suzanvariant
- Suzanevariant
- Susanevariant
- Sussannahlikely variant
- Sokivariant
- Souzanvariant
- Siusanvariant
- Sousanvariant
- Sosannavariant
- Sonelvariant
- Shushannavariant
- Shushanavariant
- Shousnanvariant
- Shoushanvariant
- Suzavariant
- Suzeyvariant
- Suseyvariant
- Sukeyvariant
- Suelitavariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 7
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Susannah
- Susannah YorkEnglish film, stage and television actress (1939–2011)
- Susannah Mushatt JonesAmerican supercentenarian (1899–2016)
- Susannah HarkerBritish actressborn 1965
- Susannah TownsendEnglish hockey playerborn 1989
- Susannah GrantAmerican film director and screenwriterborn 1963
- Susannah ConstantineBritish fashion designer and journalistborn 1962
- Susannah Maria CibberEnglish singer and actress1714–1766
- Susannah CahalanAmerican journalist and writerborn 1985
- Susannah FieldingEnglish actressborn 1985
Characters named Susannah: Susannah Dean (Stephen King's "The Dark Tower").
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Susannah, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Abbey
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Deborah
“bee”
>99% girls
Janna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls