Hanan (given name)

Ḥanan (חנן) is a name of Biblical Hebrew origin (cf. Philistine Hanun) which is also found in Qur'anic Arabic. In Hebrew, it is a masculine name meaning "gracious", "gracious gift" or "grace". In Arabic where it is used as a feminine name, it means "compassion" or "affection".

The name John is speculated to derive, via Latin and Greek, from the Hebrew name Yehoḥanan or Yoḥanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious".

The word 'ḥanan' is exclusively mentioned in the Qur'an while describing Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist) in Surah Maryam 19:12-13. The name Ḥanan is mentioned many times in the bible.

Notable people with this name include:

Hanan ben Hanan, Herodian-era High Priest of Israel in Jerusalem
Hanan of Iskiya, rector of the Talmudical academy at Pumbedita
Hanan the Egyptian, 2nd century tannaic sage
Hanan bar Rava, 3rd century amoraic sage
Hanan Mohamed Abdelrahman, mathematician
Hanan Saeed Mohsen al-Fatlawi (born 1 July 1968), Iraqi politician
Hanan al-Shaykh (born 1945), Lebanese author
Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian legislator, activist, and scholar
Hanan Eshel, Israeli archaeologist
Hanan Ibrahim, Somali activist
Hanan Jacoby (born 1962), American economist
Hanan Kattan, Jordanian-born, British-based film producer of Palestinian origin
Hanan Keren (born 1952), Israeli basketball player
Hanan Maman (born 1989), Israeli footballer
Hanan Melcer, Israeli judge
Hanan Porat, Israeli rabbi, educator, and politician
Hanan Tarik (born 1994), Ethiopian film and television actress and model
Hanan Tork, Egyptian actress

See also